2010 January Safety Tip:
“Beware Of Looking Back… Or You May Lose Sight Of What Is Just Ahead Of You”
Here’s the scenario: You’re driving down a four lane divided roadway in the right lane. Traffic is somewhat congested, but seems to be moving faster in the left lane; so you glance in your mirrors to see if there is an opening. In your side mirrors you see a good portion of your own vehicle and some traffic approaching in the distance. Since your mirrors do not give the big picture, you fear someone might be in your “blind spot”. So as a good driver, you take your eyes off the road ahead of you to stretch your neck so you can thoroughly see all your blind spots as you merge into the left lane. CRASH!!! You just rear-ended the car ahead of you because in the moments it took you to turn your head around and look back at your blind spots, the traffic stopped in the left lane.
The areas of the road that cannot be seen while looking forward or may not be visible through either the rear-view or side mirrors are the most common blind spots drivers complain about. The most obvious blind spots are the rear quarter blind spots (areas towards the rear of the vehicle on both sides). Vehicles in the adjacent lanes of the road may fall into these blind spots, and a driver may be unable to see them in their mirrors. Blind spots can be eliminated by overlapping side and rear-view mirrors.
Follow these simple steps to properly adjust your mirrors and eliminate the “blind spots”:
- Start with your rear view mirror. Position it so that it faces the center of the rear window.
- Next, lean your head until it almost touches the driver's side window. Then, adjust your left side mirrors so that you can just barely see the rear quarter panel of your car. This will probably be a very different view than you are used to.
- Now, lean your head to the right towards the middle of the car (between the two front seats at your normal height) and adjust the right side mirror so that you can just barely see the rear quarter panel of the passenger side. You should NOT be able to see the side of your car when your head is perfectly upright.
- Check for blind spots by doing the following: While driving along a four-lane road in the right lane, note a vehicle in the left lane coming up to pass you from behind. Without moving your head, glance in the rear-view mirror and follow it as it approaches your car in the left lane. Just before it disappears from your view in the rear-view mirror, glance to the left side mirror. Magic!! There it is. Now follow that vehicle in the side mirror as it begins to pass you. Then, just before it disappears from the side mirror, you should see it with your peripheral vision. Now wave “hello” so the person doesn’t think you’re staring. Road Rage is a whole different Safety Tip!! But seriously, notice that without even turning your head, you never had a blind-spot. Try the same scenario with your right side mirror. It also works in reverse. Take notice as you pass another vehicle that is traveling in the right lane. Watch them go from your peripheral vision, to your right side mirror, to your rear-view mirror. Again, no blind-spot. If you find there is a blind spot for even a fraction of a second, your side mirror adjustment may require some calibrating.
The few seconds it takes to adjust your mirrors can make a big difference. It allows you to focus on the big picture at all times. Far too many drivers underestimate their side mirrors and rely on turning their heads and looking over their shoulder. Once your mirrors are adjusted properly, using them and trusting them will become a habit. This will allow the “over the shoulder check” to become a "shoulder peek", meaning you don't have to turn your head so far. This means you don’t ever have to lose sight of what lies ahead…
Drive Safely