Understanding Blind Spots: How to Check Them and Why They Matter

Making it a practice to check your blind areas is crucial when learning to drive. Blind spots are parts of your car that are not seen from your mirrors alone. One of the main reasons for collisions is not being aware of them, particularly when merging, changing lanes, or turning. This article explains blind spots, their significance, and the most effective methods for identifying them for safe driving.

What Are Blind Spots?

Blind spots are sections around your car that are out of view from your mirrors, no matter how you adjust them. These areas differ depending on your car’s make and model but generally include:

• Areas just behind and to the side of your vehicle.
• Spaces that may be obstructed by your car’s design, such as roof pillars or high headrests.

Since these spots aren’t covered by your mirrors, it’s crucial to physically turn your head to see if the space is clear.

Why Blind Spots Matter

Blind spots are a major safety concern because they limit what you can see around you. Ignoring them can lead to accidents, especially when you:

• Change lanes: Failing to check for a vehicle in your blind spot could result in a sideswipe accident.
• Merge: Not noticing a car in your blind spot can lead to rear-end collisions or unsafe merges.
• Turn or reverse: Bicyclists, pedestrians, or other small vehicles might not be visible in your mirrors alone.

Where Are the Blind Spots on Your Car?

Understanding where blind spots typically occur on your car is the first step in knowing how to check them. In most vehicles, these are the main blind spots:

• Driver’s side: Located just behind and to the left of the driver, in the area not covered by the rearview or side mirror.
• Passenger’s side: Generally larger and farther back on the right side of the vehicle, often out of the reach of the mirrors.
• Rear corners: Areas behind the back seats that aren’t visible in the rearview mirror or from the driver’s seat.

Larger vehicles, like SUVs and trucks, tend to have more significant blind spots due to their size and height, which makes it even more important to check.

How to Properly Adjust Your Mirrors

Before learning to check your blind spots, it’s helpful to ensure your mirrors are set up correctly to minimize them. Here’s how to adjust each mirror:

1. Rearview mirror: Position it so you have a full view of the back window.
2. Side mirrors:

• For the driver’s side, lean your head toward the window and adjust until you barely see the edge of your car.
• For the passenger side, lean toward the center of your vehicle and adjust until you see the car’s edge.

These adjustments can minimize but won’t eliminate blind spots, which is why additional head checks are still needed.

The Shoulder Check: How and When to Check Blind Spots

A shoulder check is a quick glance over your shoulder in the direction you plan to move, covering the area your mirrors can’t see. Follow these steps for a proper shoulder check:

1. Signal first: Signaling gives surrounding drivers a heads-up about your intentions, so they’re prepared for your lane change, merge, or turn.
2. Check mirrors: Look in your rearview and side mirrors for a general view of your surroundings.
3. Quick shoulder check: For a left turn or lane change, glance over your left shoulder; for a right turn, glance over your right shoulder.
4. Move when clear: If the blind spot is clear, proceed with your turn or lane change.

When to Do a Shoulder Check:

• Lane changes: Always check before changing lanes.
• Turns: Look over your shoulder to ensure there are no pedestrians or cyclists when turning.
• Merging: Make sure there’s no car in your blind spot before entering a lane.
• Backing out of parking spaces: Ensure no cars, cyclists, or pedestrians are approaching from behind.

Tools to Help Minimize Blind Spots

While a shoulder check remains essential, certain vehicle features can further reduce blind spot risks:

• Blind Spot Detection (BSD) systems: Many modern vehicles have BSD, which alerts you if a car is in your blind spot.
• Convex mirrors: These are curved mirrors that give a wider field of view. Some drivers add small convex mirrors to their side mirrors for extra visibility.
• Rearview cameras: Useful when reversing, but they don’t replace shoulder checks as they can’t capture side blind spots.

Tips for Developing Good Blind Spot Habits

• Practice regularly: When you’re first learning, make shoulder checks a natural part of your driving. Practicing consistently makes it a habit.
• Stay focused: Minimize distractions so you can fully concentrate on checking mirrors and blind spots when driving.
• Be patient in busy areas: In high-traffic situations, taking an extra moment to check your blind spots can prevent accidents. 

Safe driving requires an awareness of and ability to control blind spots. You may prevent frequent collisions and establish a solid foundation for defensive driving by being aware of their whereabouts, adjusting your mirrors, and developing the practice of checking your shoulders.