Vehicle blind spots?

AXLE

good to hear you are OK.

this is the problem we heavy vehicle drivers have everyday,it happens as quick as you reported.

maybe a set of those spotter mirrors might help with the blind spot?

safe travelling.

Probably happens in every vehicle in some spot.

That last glance over the shoulder before you move is worthwhile.

Mark G is on the mark. (no pun). I have the stick on spotter mirrors on both sides of the bus I drive and my 4wd. Learn to trust them and you'll have no more blind spots.
Steve

Know the feeling (not very nice) at least I know my blind spot and is on the left hand side of my vehicle.

The current vehicle mirrors do not extend out past the ute tray enough so have been going to make a bracket up to move them out to eliminate this issue.

At least you knew you were alive as the heart would have been pumping :)

Brian

Yep... you're right, there's BIG blind spots in cars/truck/buses nowadays.

And we need to remember that everyone else has blind spots too! So keep an eye on others around you in case you're in THEIR blind spot. Sounds like overkill doesn't it? Well it kinda is, but it is worth it if you avoid a crash due to someone else not seeing you.

I've learnt to watch everyone else on the road since buying a motorcycle again.... keeps my mind alert watching the traffic and "knowing" what others are "possibly" going to do!

And before someone starts a rant on motorcyclists, I ride "in-ya-mirrors" and never sit where I think others can't see me.... I know there are those that do, but that's their problem... LOL....


Cheers

Brian

(Proud owner 2008 Honda VTX1300, Titanium in colour)

Agree , those spotter mirrors are invaluable - And for me as a bike rider( and a Patrol owner ) its even more important for you to see me -- when your in a cage - you have a good chance of surviving if you jhave an accident, - on the bike - you run me off into the wires in the middle of the freeway -- i get chopped in half ....

as they say -- Look left - look right --- LOOK BIKE


Boc

Axle
I don't think it's a new thing - blind spots have always been there. I was taught, and passed this on to my kids, to never change lanes or leave the kerb without turning my head. I appreciate heavy vehicle drivers get no benefit from this and hence the use of the spot mirrors. You might have noticed that all of the grey imports - Toyota Surf etc that come in from Japan have convex wing mirrors on the front of the mudguards. These are the answer to the problem but our safety gurus reckon they are too dangerous in a collision with a pedestrian so we don't have them. Driving in Japan you never see drivers turning their heads, but they constantly monitor those wing mirrors.

tessa

Geez Axle...yer a dangerous bugger. Hope I don't meet ya on a blind spot one day.

Yeah, jokes aside, it gives one a fright when that happens. Unfortunately there are many people who drive like the bloke you nearly collected. When I am in the big smoke with the horse and cart I am very vigilant to this fact and back off if someone is hugging the blind spot

Ofcourse, overtaking on the left is a No No......did ya know that?

Cheers

Another vote for those little stick on mirrors, it's one of the first things we buy for any car we have. And when we got the Subi, the few days I drove it without them, you know what I really missed not having them there! Things like pulling up nice and close along the kerbside are a lot easier with them too! And you can glance at the parking bay line to check how close or straight you parked too.

But yes always a good idea to glance over the shoulder just before you change lanes anyway. You know it's night time that would worry me more, because you may not see the headlights when they're next to you!

Thanks for the replys, I think i have worked it out! , Let Symbo have the thing!, I'll stick to the landrover caus i can't pass anything anyway!.... And theres Willems advice to..hahaha.


Cheers Axle.

Rear view mirrors are ONLY an aid to driving. Safe driving requires that the driver satisfy themsleves that the lane is clear by looking over the shoulder. Most modern vehicles have a warning on the near side mirror something like 'WARNING - vehicles may be closer than they appear'. You can never be too careful.

I reckon the most bloody dangerous thing they have fitted to most new cars (most Toyota's, wifes car) is those bloody stupid convex mirrors mainly referring to the drivers side. Absolutely the most dumbest thing I have ever driven with. I can understand the one on the passengers side but drivers side WTF ?? So dangerous. I wrote a letter to Toyota expressing my concerns but no reply. Cant get the normal replacement mirror for her car but they do a replacement for the corolla. And yes DIO I do look over my shoulder but you do rely on that drivers mirror to check before making a lane change as well as glancing over shoulder, allot easier to check over left side then right. To me they are there for lazy people who wont look over there shoulder when changing lanes. There is not even a warning sticker, imprint or anything saying they are convex mirrors. MMMM I can see some one seeing Toyota in court if anything goes wrong. If they are that great they would have them on all trucks as the main mirrors, obviously they don't. As all truck drivers on here would no you have normal full length mirrors either side then spotters mostly underneath. Try reversing a semi up a narrow lane way with convex mirrors ?? Wont happen. I think this is half the issues when some one side swipes some one else, they have these mirrors and don't even realize. I have to laugh at the amount of cars I have seen where either the rear view mirror isn't even there, or its facing downwards no where near aiming for the back window, how the hell they know what's going on around them, bit like people who drive for a while at night before realizing they have no lights on ?? Hello !!! do they not look at gauges or speedo ?? Regards Steve M

How did you have your mirror adjusted ?

If I can see the side of my car in the left side of the Driver's Mirror (that's how my wife insists on adjusting it), I know I have it adjusted too close to the car and I will have a bigger blind spot.

After far too many close calls, I now turn the headlights on after I turn the ignition on.

If a driver can't see me, he can't avoid me.

BIG warning with small convex mirrors,

I had them on the drivers side door of a car I had 18 years ago.
once it reached freeway speed, sometimes the mirrors folded in slightly causing them to aim at the side of your car not along,but because it was dark, I hadn't noticed that on this occasion, it had done just that (didn't do it often), anyway I had missed the street I was looking for and pulled over into the kerbside lane (2 lanes either direction, almost zero traffic) and was going to do a u-turn, blinker on, As I look up can see street lights that about 50 meters apart, zig zag formation, and not doing a very good job, looked in the main mirror and again can only see a few lights, looked in the spotter mirror ,again see a few lights, HOWEVER there was one that wasn't a street light as I found out after it was too late.
Right hand down and half across the lane next to me I look just in time to see a motorbike try and take evasive action, The bike hit my front wheel and the rider slid on the the road across the front of my headlights
I had pulled out in front of an off duty copper on his police bike, on his way home (9.30pm), soon after that I saw LOTS of lights mostly blue and red!!! , two ambulances two tow trucks and about 8 police cars.
The copper was alright but kept in hospital o/night, the bike had snapped it's goose neck and was written off.
That was 18 years ago and even now I double check, or avoid u-turns altogether, same applies for changing lanes.
When I bought my 05 100 series it came with the convex mirror on the driver door and wasn't real flash with that, bugger me, 1 week later, coming home from dinner I went to change lanes (well after dark) I knew there was a car several car lengths behind me, travelling at the same speed in the lane I was going to, I looked in the stupid DANGEROUS mirror and see his headlights still back from me, on goes the blinker, a quick head check as I merge and F@@@ ME a motorbike level with my rear door!!!.
Next day I bought a mirror off an earlier model 100 (flat) and p!ssed off the deadly one
Moral of the story is convex mirrors can be a help as a SECONDARY rear vision, I swear by them driving semi's, but they can distort things to such a degree you simply cant see what you are looking at, a quick look over the shoulder would 've most certainly avoided my collision, and definatlely avoided another.
Shane

What I do is:-

To set my mirrors

On a freeway or double highway I allow a vehicle on each side of me to overtake - at the same time I make sure that as the vehicle disappears from my rear view mirror I can then see it in the applicable side mirror.
It does not matter if the LHS is convex.
It will feel funny for a while and if you drive on freeways a lot you may have to check a vehicle two lanes on each side but it works.

We all check our rear view mirror constantly and provided you check that and the applicable side mirror before you deviate you will be O'K
A vehicle next to you will be visual to your peripheral vision as you check that side mirror.

Motor bikes are a different story

Works for me - hope it helps

Cheers