Automatic Driving Lessons in North Dublin Blindspots
When we are driving, mirrors are a great tool to see who or what is behind you. This could be a number of different road users such as cyclists coming up on the inside, a speeding driver overtaking erratically or motorcyclists coming through the middle of traffic. You really don’t know what to expect so it is important to always check your mirrors. There are certain areas of the car your mirrors cannot see and they are called blind-spots. Blind-spots are the areas the mirrors can’t see or the pillars of the car obscure your vision.
The first blindspot we will cover is out the driver’s window. As you can in the diagram, the lady turns her head and looks out the window. Without this final check, she could potentially not see the motorcycle and pull out into him. It is important to look out the window and examine what is around you as a quick glance will not be effective and you won’t see the whole picture. Really acknowledge your surrounds as the extra second could be the difference of you seeing a cyclist or not. When checking your blind-spot, you are also checking for pedestrians on the far footpath, pedestrians crossing the road from the far footpath onto your side of the road, cyclists coming up the outside or even small pets that could run across the road. There is so many potential hazards that you need to be aware of. So take a good look around, take in all your surroundings and move off if safe to do so.
Another blind-spot check is out your passenger side window. This check is similar to the previous check and you must take a good look out the passenger side window. Again, this check allows you to see who or what is on the footpath. Again this could range from children playing, pedestrians wanting to cross the road in front of your car or small pets running under the wheels. Take in all your surroundings and act in the safest way possible.
Other blind-spots to look out for are the areas behind the car’s pillars. As you can see from the diagram, these are the dark grey areas. When you are driving forward, the front 2 blind-spot areas can be detrimental to other road users. If when you are driving, you are not paying full attention and observing all around you, motorcyclists and cyclists can go unseen. Especially when driving to a junction, if you are not looking all around and examining the area, a quick glance could tell you the coast is clear but there could be someone in your blindspot and you could keep driving and cause an accident. I have seen this so many times and proper observation coming onto every new road is vital. Other blind-spots are to the side and bottom corners of the car. When you are reversing, take extra care as there are many more blind areas. Everything from under the back window to the view behind the pillars is unseen. If you are about to reverse out of a parking spot always look behind your car before you get into the driver’s seat. Anything could be hidden behind your car such as glass bottles to animals to anything. Having a good look could save you damaging your car or injuring a pedestrian.
Observation is so important when you are driving. Observation helps you read traffic situations ahead and also helps you read all situations safely.
