Blind Spot Check

[akirk]

Hol said:

akirk said:

two stages to checking for when you switch lane:
1 - you should have a continual visual picture of everything around you built up as you drive along and based on continual checking of the mirrors - so there should never be a surprise when you move across
2 - you should then check, e.g. over your shoulder - with a more focused check just before moving...

I suspect a lot of drivers don't do stage 1

I am definitely a Stage 1 guy and constantly update my perception of all the other cars.

I also try to plan all my lane changes way in advance of the actual need to move, including indicating extra early if necessary to give a dawdling car to my outside the option to speed up and pass, or slow down and let me out.

I also like to anticipate the need for cars to my left who may/may not be paying attention and will shortly need to either brake or overtake the car in front of them. l either change lanes or speed up a bit to make space for them.

Edited by Hol on Wednesday 22 November 09:12

In other words - good driving!

[graham22]

Sensibleboy said:

They should also educate people to not sit in blind spots and to avoid changing lanes into blind spots.
I cringe every time I see somebody move from lane 3 to lane 2 into a lane 1 vehicle blind spot.

Id bet a significant number of motorway accidents are caused by this.

Agree, lack of education, especially when along side large vehicles - I did make a similar comment on the 'dash-cam' thread and got flamed.

The first thing I do when going onto a motorway (we're 100 miles from the M5 mind), is to 'widen' the angle of my mirrors, easy to do with most cars having electric mirrors - surprised how much you can do this, being able to see right up beside you & still see immediately behind.

Thought the current trend of mirrors mounted further back the door must help (rather at the front of the door adjacent to the A-pillar).

[TooMany2cvs]

sparkythecat said:

Interesting that you mention Volvo. I've just done a long trip with my mate in his Volvo XC60 which has a blind spot alert system built into it. If there is something moving in your blind spot an orange light flashes on the relevant door mirror fixing inside the car.

Lots of modern stuff does - you can see it as you pass 'em on the m'way.

It's often surprising as to what does and what doesn't.

[coldel]

I do laugh as I remember calling it a blind spot when learning, my instructor said 'its not a blind spot, you can see everything if you take a look' haha.

[hondansx]

Yeah, see lots of cars with blind spot indicators now.

I think pretty early into driving I almost went straight into someone on the M25 moving from lane 1 to 2. From that moment on have religiously checked.

I imagine most of the accidents with LHD lorries and motorists is a largely caused by people obliviously sitting in the truck's blindspot. I always have an 'escape route' planned.

[IanCress]

Sensibleboy said:

They should also educate people to not sit in blind spots and to avoid changing lanes into blind spots.
I cringe every time I see somebody move from lane 3 to lane 2 into a lane 1 vehicle blind spot.

Id bet a significant number of motorway accidents are caused by this.

It's my theory that these managed motorways make this situation more common, as all 3 lanes sit at the same speed. It's good to have a speed differential between the lanes as it means cars aren't sat in your blind spot for any length of time.

[Triumph Man]

Hol said:

akirk said:

two stages to checking for when you switch lane:
1 - you should have a continual visual picture of everything around you built up as you drive along and based on continual checking of the mirrors - so there should never be a surprise when you move across
2 - you should then check, e.g. over your shoulder - with a more focused check just before moving...

I suspect a lot of drivers don't do stage 1

I am definitely a Stage 1 guy and constantly update my perception of all the other cars.

I also try to plan all my lane changes way in advance of the actual need to move, including indicating extra early if necessary to give a dawdling car to my outside the option to speed up and pass, or slow down and let me out.

I also like to anticipate the need for cars to my left who may/may not be paying attention and will shortly need to either brake or overtake the car in front of them. l either change lanes or speed up a bit to make space for them.

Edited by Hol on Wednesday 22 November 09:12

I do 1) but it is certainly prudent to check over the shoulder, just to be doubly sure. Plus we are only human and sometimes things can be initially missed and so an additional check is no bad thing. Plus mirrors on 90s-00s BMWs are terrible...

[BOR]

Very rarely.

The mirrors on my bike are good. I know what's behind me and how far back, so unless I know I have not been able to make a recent mirror check, or if there is some physical reason - wall in a tunnel, truck obscuring vision, then I don't need to.

I view it a sign of failure if I need to do one.

[captain_cynic]

shotta287 said:

How many of you check blind spots when switching lanes? Number of times now I've been 'caught out' by a vehicle in my blind spot. So I look over my shoulder every time. Unless my mirrors aren't set properly..

I check religiously, every time when potentially crossing another lane of traffic.

Mirror - Signal - Blindspot.

[irc]

graham22 said:

Agree, lack of education, especially when along side large vehicles - I did make a similar comment on the 'dash-cam' thread and got flamed.

I also agree. On busy motorways I adjust my speed to be either slightly ahead of a vehicle in an inner lane or far enough back it isn't a problem if it moves right.

[Stu08]

Seesure said:

These days though it feels like people are taught that if they put on their indicator at the same time of switching lanes on the motorway they automatically have priority over the traffic already based in that lane, if what I commonly see is anything to go by...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this happen on every motorway journey. I've had numerous cars start to change lanes as they hit the indicator at the same time. Usually two feet in front of me!

[coldel]

Stu08 said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this happen on every motorway journey. I've had numerous cars start to change lanes as they hit the indicator at the same time. Usually two feet in front of me!

Dont even mention the drivers who come down motorway slip roads with indicators on who expect to be able to drive straight out into the middle lane regardless of the two lanes of traffic that are already there. The obsession of people to get into that middle lane almost immediately upon entering a motorway is bordering on the absurd nowadays lol

[_Neal_]

BOR said:

Very rarely.

The mirrors on my bike are good. I know what's behind me and how far back, so unless I know I have not been able to make a recent mirror check, or if there is some physical reason - wall in a tunnel, truck obscuring vision, then I don't need to.

I view it a sign of failure if I need to do one.

Woah, so you're saying you don't have a blind spot?

I check every time, because my mirror checking/awareness may not have been faultless, so I check my blind spot. And when I passed my bike test (about 13 years after I passed my driving test) that hammered it home. It's a no brainer.

ETA - akirk's Stages 1 and 2 above are a good summary, and what I do. The fact that I try for Stage one doesn't mean I can ignore Stage 2 - you don't know until you look!

Edited by _Neal_ on Wednesday 22 November 11:03

[Jagmanv12]

Definitely necessary due to the numpties who sit in the blind spot.

If they are going to overtake then get a move on, if not then stay a bit further back.

The reduced limits on "smart" motorways lead to more vehicles in the blind spot.

[DoctorX]

coldel said:

Dont even mention the drivers who come down motorway slip roads with indicators on who expect to be able to drive straight out into the middle lane regardless of the two lanes of traffic that are already there. The obsession of people to get into that middle lane almost immediately upon entering a motorway is bordering on the absurd nowadays lol

This winds me up, especially if you’re slowing to let a truck pass before joining and the cretin behind immediately does the overtake as soon as joining without giving you the opportunity to pass.

[cootuk]

The "lifesaver" shoulder check...standard issue for bikers. Getting on a bit I can see how people with limited mobility have trouble with craning their neck and do develop permanent blind spots.

[Buzypea]

I’ve never checked over my shoulders when changing lanes. I build up a picture of what Is around me by regularly checking mirrors.

Most importantly on busy motorways, I always put my indicator on for at least two seconds to signal my intention to change lane before I actually do. I’m shocked at the amount of drivers that change lane and indicate at exactly the same time. What was the point of indicating? I can see you’re changing lane, your cars just moved lane.

[mwstewart]

akirk said:

Hol said:

akirk said:

two stages to checking for when you switch lane:
1 - you should have a continual visual picture of everything around you built up as you drive along and based on continual checking of the mirrors - so there should never be a surprise when you move across
2 - you should then check, e.g. over your shoulder - with a more focused check just before moving...

I suspect a lot of drivers don't do stage 1

I am definitely a Stage 1 guy and constantly update my perception of all the other cars.

I also try to plan all my lane changes way in advance of the actual need to move, including indicating extra early if necessary to give a dawdling car to my outside the option to speed up and pass, or slow down and let me out.

I also like to anticipate the need for cars to my left who may/may not be paying attention and will shortly need to either brake or overtake the car in front of them. l either change lanes or speed up a bit to make space for them.

Edited by Hol on Wednesday 22 November 09:12

In other words - good driving!

Same - mental map of positions of stuff around me, though I do still shoulder glance for safe measure.

[anonymous-user]

cootuk said:

The "lifesaver" shoulder check...standard issue for bikers. Getting on a bit I can see how people with limited mobility have trouble with craning their neck and do develop permanent blind spots.

That`s where I learnt mine. I also still tend to cover the brakes when approaching cars that are waiting to pull out of junctions. When I did my IAM test, the first thing the examiner said, was "You have ridden bikes". Agreed about the limited mobility as I recently had to have a disc replaced. Before that I was getting a delightful click from my neck every time I looked over my shoulder !

[GadgeS3C]

Buzypea said:

I’ve never checked over my shoulders when changing lanes. I build up a picture of what Is around me by regularly checking mirrors.

Most importantly on busy motorways, I always put my indicator on for at least two seconds to signal my intention to change lane before I actually do. I’m shocked at the amount of drivers that change lane and indicate at exactly the same time. What was the point of indicating? I can see you’re changing lane, your cars just moved lane.

So you expect others to avoid you because you were indicating?

Agree, observation and indication by most drivers is appalling - indication without thinking as the wheel is turned.

Positively impressed by this thread that the vast majority are doing shoulder checks.

Edit - my driving instructor asked me very early on what bike I had