Road safety is something that must be observed in all instances to ensure the safety of vehicle operators, passengers, and pedestrians. Traffic laws and guidelines must be established and properly enforced in order to avoid serious accidents and injuries.
There are various road safety measures that can help in maintaining road safety. Road safety solutions that are well-designed and specifically manufactured assure the uninterrupted safety of automobiles and pedestrians. These road safety items inform people of dangerous areas of the road and accident-prone areas, as well as simply organizing traffic and automobiles in an orderly manner.
One major contributor to road accidents is the car blindspot. In this blog we will highlight important topics such as what blindspot does in a car, how it contributes to road accidents, warning systems to prevent them, and some additional tips to help you avoid the car blindspot.
What is a Blindspot in a Car?
A blindspot is a section of the road that is outside of the driver’s field of vision. It is essentially the region that is not visible simply by looking ahead through your windshield or by using your rear-view and side-view mirrors since it is obscured by sections of the vehicle’s structure. Blindspots can be wide enough to impede your view of another car, motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian.
However, this does not imply that you cannot notice cars in blind zones. They just can’t be seen with mirrors only. Before doing any other driving maneuver, simply perform a “head check” by turning your head and neck to glance over your right or left shoulder. blindspots exist in all vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, trains, and planes. It is also crucial to remember that by blocking the view a car blindspot creates circumstances in which one vehicle may collide with another while turning or changing lanes.
Now that we have understood what a car blindspot is and gotten a fair idea of why it is dangerous, let us see in detail how blindspots are a contributing factor in road accidents.
How are Blindspots a Contributing Factor in Accidents?
Blindspot driving is risky because it hinders you from seeing dangers or other road users. For example, you could collide with another car or be collided with because a blindspot kept you from noticing or being noticed.
Motorcyclists and freight trucks are the most common culprits of blindspot problems. This is due to the fact that motorcycles are tiny and tend to zigzag through traffic. They can hide in your car blindspot and be completely invisible until you turn around.
The same is true for freight carriers in reverse. Because of their vast size, it is impossible for the driver to see the entire length of the vehicle, which means they may collide with you while you are in their blindspot.
The apparent threat of a blindspot has motivated technology to catch up and facilitated the invention of a Blindspot Warning System.
How does a Car Blindspot Warning System Work?
blindspot Warning systems are normally activated by a range of diverse sensors installed on the bumpers and wing mirrors of a vehicle. These can identify when a pedestrian or vehicle enters your blind area and alert you with an auditory or visual cue – often, a warning light in the car’s wing mirrors.
If an obstruction is detected in the car blindspot on that side, many systems will blink an amber light on the mirror. If the driver then indicates a turn in that direction, a more pronounced warning, such as a red light or warning sounds, will be displayed.
What are the Challenges of a Blindspot Warning System?
However, keep in mind that these systems are not perfect and that you must sometimes depend on your own vision and discretion when driving. We always recommend carefully checking your mirrors and blindspots before changing lanes, and utilizing your blindspot Monitoring system just as a backup.
Here are some challenges that may come up when you use a Blindspot Warning System:
- A blindspot monitor, like any decent electrical device, can have a few mechanical glitches now and then. It could be due to an internal wiring fault or an older model.
- Dust or water on the sensors on the car that triggers the monitor might cause blindspot monitors to cease operating suddenly. While some are caused by inadequate upkeep, such as failing to dust the region, driving in naturally unclean locations might be more difficult.
- While having a monitor is useful for avoiding collisions with other vehicles, you should still make an effort to verify the lane you are about to enter in case your monitor is faulty.
What are the Alternative Ways of Avoiding a Car Blindspot?
Here are some alternative ways to prevent a car blindspot:
- Check Your Mirrors
All 3 mirrors (1 rear-view, 2 side-view) must be adjusted to provide you with the best peripheral vision from your driving position. Creating overlapping in their sight field is a common error while setting the mirrors. All three mirrors should be adjusted so that their vision areas do not overlap but are exactly adjacent to one another. This provides the greatest field of view from all sides.
- Invest in ADAS
ADAS or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems is also a clever use of technology to prevent car blindspot accidents. Superior solutions such as LocoNav’s dashcams come equipped with assisted driving alerts that are used to alert the driver in case of a possible collision.
- Utilize Turn Indicators
An automobile has two major blindspots: the back left and right sides. As a result, the use of turn signs becomes critical. Although turn indicators do not prevent blindspots, they do lessen the risk associated with them. Turning on your turn indicators to change lanes or make a turn alerts drivers on either side of the vehicle of your intentions.
- Look Over Your Shoulder
Because this requires you to temporarily take your attention away from the road, it must be done with extreme caution and diligence. You must first indicate your intent by activating the corresponding turn indicator. Then, make sure there is enough distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. While maintaining your steering stability (to avoid accidentally veering out of your lane), cast a quick peek over your shoulder in the way your car needs to proceed. After checking your car blindspot and verifying it is clear, you can go in the direction indicated by your turn indicators.
FAQ
How to spot a car blindspot?
Close your left eye and focus your right on the cross mark on the opposite side of this page. The location should be visible to the right. Don’t stare at it directly; simply notice that it’s there, to the right.
How to adjust the car mirror for maximum visibility?
- Sit in the driving seat.
- Manipulate the rearview mirror so that you can see straight out of the center of your back windshield without turning your head.
- Locate the side mirror adjustment levers or buttons.
- First, adjust the driver’s side mirror.
- Adjust the passenger seat mirror next. If you have to manually adjust it, you may have to switch between the passenger and driver’s seats until it is positioned correctly.
- After you’ve adjusted all of the mirrors, sit in the driver’s seat and inspect each one, beginning with the driver’s side mirror.
What happens if you enter the blind area of another vehicle?
If you enter another car’s blindspot, you risk sideswiping that vehicle if they suddenly change lanes.
How safe are mirror blindspots?
The blindspot warning system improves driving safety, particularly on lengthy trips. A car blindspot mirror can also detect automobiles, trucks, and even motorbikes coming from behind you and tell you if something is amiss. In a word, cars with mirrors are unquestionably safer than those without.