Tips for Dealing with Blind Spots When Driving

If you’ve spent much time behind the wheel, you’ve likely encountered your vehicle’s blind spot. Some vehicles have larger, more pronounced blind spots than others, but all vehicles have one. It’s the pocket of space between your car’s rearview mirrors. When another car is in one vehicle’s blind spot, the driver of the front car may not be able to see the other vehicle. That creates a potentially dangerous situation, particularly on multiple lane roads, such as interstates and highways.

While it’s true that there’s no way to truly do away with the blind spot altogether, there are some steps you can take to minimize it and mitigate the risks associated with it. Part of any sound defensive driving education involves learning to deal with blind spots, as it’s an important skill to master before spending much time on the highway. While a defensive driving course in Wichita, KS, represents an excellent way to prepare yourself for the dangers of the road, there are some tips you can implement in the meantime to help minimize your risks. Keep reading to learn a few tips that you can use to reduce your risk of a blind spot-related accident.

Prep Your Mirrors

The first thing you should do before cranking the car and getting on the roadway is to check your mirrors and fine-tune their position to give you the widest range of vision. To gauge whether your sideview mirrors are properly adjusted, sit in your driver’s seat and glance into the driver’s side sideview mirror from your natural driving posture. If you can see the side of your car in the mirror, you should adjust them outwards. After all, there’s little danger of another car driving within an inch of your car, so there’s no need to have your mirrors adjusted in so tightly. Flare the line of sight outward slightly to give you a broader view and shrink the blind spot. Your rearview mirror should be positioned so that you can see directly behind the car. This positioning will give you a wide perimeter of sight and reduces your risk of a significant blind spot.

Use Your Head

While your mirrors are a necessary part of your vehicle’s safety equipment and should be trusted to help extend your vision, you should never rely on them wholly when changing lanes or making a traffic maneuver that could cause you to strike a car. The only sure way to make sure your blind spot is clear is to put your eyes on it to check for a car. Check your mirrors first, then quickly glance over the shoulder in the direction you plan to move. Apply your turn signal, and if you can confirm with your glance that the blind spot is clear, you’re safe to make the maneuver. Never assume that because you can’t see a car in your mirrors it’s not there. Visual confirmation is always a good idea.

Anticipate Your Fellow Drivers

Just as your car has several blind spots, so too do other drivers on the road around you. You can anticipate the blind spots of other drivers by staying out of the danger zone. While you may not know exactly where another driver’s blind spot is, you can estimate it well enough to avoid hanging around there for long. This is particularly true when driving in traffic with 18-wheelers, as they have an extended blind spot due to the length of the vehicle and limitations of the mirrors. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t see a trucker’s mirrors, the trucker can’t see you. Take care to avoid putting yourself in the blind spots of other vehicles.