Beware of Blind Spots
Blind spots are a major reason for many car collisions. While many cars nowadays have monitoring systems that will actually check your blind spots for you and let you know when it is safe to change lanes, many people still don’t have the feature on their car. This means that whether you have a blind spot monitoring system or not, it will be your responsibility to understand how to check for blind spots and be cautious of others’ blind spots to avoid accidents.
How to Be Cautious with Blind Spots
Blind spots are the areas on the side of you that your mirrors cannot see. While it’s a good practice to use your mirrors frequently, they cannot pick up everything. You’ll actually need to physically look over your shoulder to make sure you won’t sideswipe a vehicle when you switch lanes. If you have passengers in the vehicle, they can help you look for cars as well.
When checking blind spots, keep your hands on the steering wheel so you don’t accidentally end up drifting into the adjacent lane. If you find the coast is clear, make sure you take advantage of the situation and switch lanes quickly. Fast cars can sneak up into your blind spots rather quickly, so while you allow others time to see that you are switching lanes by using your blinker, you want to make the transition as quickly as possible while still remaining safe.
You can prevent further blind spots by keeping your windows clear—inside and outside of the car. Dirt and debris in your car windows can make it harder to see, so wipe them down as often as possible. Inside the car, keep windows free of obstructions. Avoid overloading the car to the point where you can’t see out of the windows. This is dangerous. Instead, use the trunk or remove some of the items from the car. It’s for your own safety—and the safety of others.
Stay Out of Blind Spots
It’s good to be aware of the blind spots on your own car, but you must also be aware of the blind spots of other vehicles. This is especially true for semi trucks. These long trucks have multiple blind spots—many more than a passenger vehicle. It is impossible for truck drivers to see every car on the side of the truck.
You can find out if the truck driver can see you, however. You can do this by looking at the truck’s side mirrors. Can you see the truck driver’s face in it? If so, they can see you. If not, you are in a blind spot. Try to get away or in front of the truck as quickly as possible so you don’t get sideswiped in the event of an emergency.
Other passenger vehicles have blind spots, too. If you see that a vehicle is looking to go into your lane, avoid staying right next to them. Instead, slow down and let them get in front of you. Don’t trust that they’ll see you and wait for you to pass by. If they can’t see you, you will likely get hit. So be defensive in your part. Never assume.
If Accident and Injury Does Occur
Of course, this is only one of the many actions to take to help ensure you avoid an accident in Las Vegas; we also suggest you continue reading to learn more. And if you are injured, please reach out to us today at Naqvi Injury Law for professional assistance.