When should you check blind spots?
You should primarily check your blind spots before making a turn, especially when turning off a road, and always at junctions to ensure safe navigation and prevent potential collisions.
Blind spots are areas around your vehicle that cannot be seen using your mirrors. Checking these areas is crucial for road safety, particularly in dynamic driving situations. Based on best practices and safety guidelines, here are the critical times to perform a blind spot check:
1. Before Turning Off a Road
Performing a blind spot check before you turn off a road is paramount for preventing accidents, particularly involving vulnerable road users like cyclists.
- When it's crucial: This check is especially vital when you have recently overtaken a cyclist. A cyclist you've just passed might be directly in your blind spot, traveling straight while you prepare to turn.
- Why it's important: If you turn without checking, and the cyclist is close behind you and going straight, you risk a severe collision. This is because they might be obscured from your mirrors and out of your direct line of sight. Always assume a cyclist or motorcyclist could be present, even if you don't immediately see them in your mirrors.
2. At Junctions
Junctions are common locations for collisions due to the complex interaction of traffic from multiple directions. Your vehicle's design can sometimes exacerbate this risk.
- The "A-pillar" effect: At junctions, your car's A-pillars (the front supports of the roof on either side of the windshield) can conceal significant areas of traffic. This means traffic approaching from the left or right can be completely hidden from your view, even if you're looking in that direction.
- Why it's important: A quick head check before proceeding at a junction ensures that no vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists are hidden by your A-pillars, allowing you to react appropriately and avoid an accident. This proactive check is essential whether you are turning, going straight, or yielding.
By consistently incorporating these blind spot checks into your driving routine, you significantly enhance safety for yourself and others on the road, especially in critical situations like turning or navigating junctions.
