People who look over their shoulder to check their blind spot when changing lanes on a motorway, classic or fucking terrifying?

No no, please feel free to spend two seconds looking in the opposite direction to which the vehicle you're driving is travelling at 70 miles an hour. And hey if you really want to make me feel comfortable, don't just turn your head, actually wrench your whole upper body round so it looks like you might just flip the steering wheel 90 degrees.

It's gotta be done, dude!

You don't check your blind spot when you change lanes?

yeah, you have to do this
i've been in several close calls when i failed to fully check the blind spot

its all 4 u dogg

its all 4 u

It's much more terrifying to be on someone's blind spot just as the dude on yr left decides to pull out maybe.

never done it, never needed to do it. just keep an eye on the mirrors, cars don't magically appear in your blind spot from out of nowhere .

lol dude, u crazy

No, that makes sense, fair play.

Just saying, it's less terrifying to be seen by the person Lurching round to check the blind spot, than have someone pull out in a "Not seen any cars for a bit, let's go" way.

I just took my drivers test a few months ago. Pretty sure that's what ya do.

Agreed - checking blind spots is a must every time. Regardless of your experience, speed etc.

Also an excellent habit to get into if you ever plan to drive abroad (i.e. any country where they drive on the other side of the road to you).

Mark G OTM.

ok the uk gov says "take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot area", which i would do when merging, if i couldn't get a clear view beforehand. still don't see the need when overtaking, and backwards over the shoulder is just nuts.

Many times I've thought that I'd kept an eye on the mirrors, and then I learn with a honk that evidently I didn't. That's why I look over my shoulder. FWIW we were taught to do this in my driver's ed course.

I think we are of a mind now.

Right: Next up.

"People that hover left to right behind you when you are doing the speed limit doen a country lane with a view to overtake you on the off-chance that there's nothing coming around the next bend are FUCKing terrifying"

(highlight of yesterday, East of Wokingham)

When I was learning to drive (you'll be pleased to hear that I never got my licence) I hated doing this because I wear glasses, and while I'm perfectly able to see big things like cars and bikes without glasses, the transition from looking through glasses to trying to focus on the stuff down the sides of my vision where my glasses don't reach is kind of... difficult

Just me?

xp people who do this while talking on a cell phone.

you're meant to do this. lucky, 'cause I only have one wing mirror and some pretty big blind spots.

you're probably "meant" to do it 'cause most people are to dumb to be expected to keep an eye on what's behind them via mirrors.

just keep an eye on the mirrors, cars don't magically appear in your blind spot from out of nowhere .

― ledge, Monday, July 20, 2009 4:06 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

if you're driving in a 4/5 lane highway with a decent amount of cars going 65-70+ then yes they do

unless you're in a paul greengrass film or something

in which case you know where every car within a 5 mile radius is

I try to do this every time. But it feels awkward (probably because I don't drive much and haven't been driving for a long time). I tend to look a LOT in the mirrors though. My father says it's pretty pointless because there's not really that much of a blind spot with cars. It's more for buses, trucks and other large vehicles.

I still need to take my exam though. :-(((((((

(I have to add that my dad looks in his mirrors ALL the freaking time.)

if you're driving in a 4/5 lane highway with a decent amount of cars going 65-70+ then yes they do

if i'm also going 65-70 then relatively they're only doing 5mph at most. What about the guy doing 80-90? Actually that's me.

I do this - but it's not 2 seconds. True cars don't magically appear but, as a recent for instance, a car behind you in the middle lane decides to overtake you as you overtake the car in front.

Here's another one, person who overtakes you and nearly crashes into oncoming traffic on the entry road to the ferry so they can get ahead one car ahead of you in the queue! Classic or completely raving bonkers?

a car behind you in the middle lane decides to overtake you as you overtake the car in front.

so you'd see it disappear from the mirror! ok if it was there-one-minute gone-the-next that would be the 1 in a 100 time i'd glance to check where it is.

It seems to me you're spending more time looking in the mirror than the road ahead.

I think I do this (the shoulder thing) but I actually can't remember - I do all driving so instinctively that I can't actually think what I do when I'm not actually doing it. I will report back later once I've been into town, not that I'm likely to reach any decent overtaking speeds (i.e. people who plan two months worth of contraflows and lane closures right next to the airport in the height of summer, total fucking dud)

Also, Ned OTM, I'm fairly sure I'm not looking in the mirror that much, I *think* i tend to just see what's behind/beside me when I'm planning changing what i'm doing.

I'd be terrified to sit with you in car, Ledge. Can't understand how one could see this as "fucking terrifying", it has to be done, and can be done without any problem.

i glance at the mirror a few times a minute. xp. honestly it really does unnerve me.

and i'm pretty sure, since i'm so conscious when people do it, that a decent amount of people i know don't do it.

I would find that way more terrifying.

The guy who drives far too slowly in the slow lane, making the cars coming down the slip brake just when they should be accelerating onto the main carriageway. When he sees what he's doing and makes a late, blind lunge into the fast lane - dud.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/resources/images/831031/

I'll go and admit I had an accident. I was waiting for the light to turn green - the boat was passing through, so the bridge was open. I was okay with just waiting but my dad kept saying I had to get out of the waiting queue and turn around. I told him I wasn't comfortable with doing this but he kept saying I should. (I didn't see the point: you just drive around, it probably takes just as much time making a detour. I also don't like doing these maneuvers.) So I got out but didn't look as I didn't expect a car (or any vehicle) to pass me by. It's not allowed cause the lane is for the opposite direction. Suddenly a cyclist bumped into the car and fell on the ground. She wasn't allowed to cycle there at all. I was shocked beyond belief. We were both in the wrong but of course I should have looked anyway. :-( Even now I feel so scared driving. :-((( I'm pretty sure it woudn't have happened if my dad wasn't with me. :-(

It's not a defense, but cyclists here are so reckless. They cycle where it's not allowed ALL THE FUCKING time. I saw one just cycling without looking coming from the left, the taxi was just able to stop.

Honestly I don't have any more nightmares, but I still feel very awkward driving. I doubt this feeling will ever go away: I am insecure as it is and I don't get much practice. :-(

eh, passing on either side is kind of de rigeur for cyclists - motorbikes do it too so it's not an exclusively "all cyclists are wankers" thing.

also please check for cyclists when pulling away from the kerb, blind spot included.

kthxbye

also shouting things at me out the window as you drive past is pointless I can't hear what you're saying.

Thanks to the laws of inertia and momentum, I can look over my shoulder when changing lanes without having to worry about my car careening wildly out of control.

It is the correct way to drive. Drivers who don't look over while they are changing lanes are the ones of whom other drivers should be afraid. If these drivers have eccentric theories about what would actually be the better way to drive, that's awesome for them and they should start kooky websites like Timecube about it, but the correct technique, as everybody has noted, is to look over your shoulder before changing lanes.

If conditions are right for passing, check in your mirrors and signal your lane change. Before pulling into the left lane, glance briefly over your left shoulder, through the rear side window, to make sure no vehicle is passing you or close behind you in the left lane. Never rely on your mirrors alone when preparing to change lanes. Even properly adjusted mirrors will leave "blind spots" behind you on both sides. If a vehicle is in the blind spot, you may not see it in your mirrors. Always glance over your shoulder before changing lanes or passing. -- from here

never done it, never needed to do it. just keep an eye on the mirrors, cars don't magically appear in your blind spot from out of nowhere

Motorcycles fucking can. Jesus Christ, I haven't been so fucking angry at something I've read on ILX in years. Dude, I have tremendous respect for you as a poster, but really: you drive like this and you shouldn't be on the fucking road.

Given how much cash we raised to save ILX, I'm tempted to set up a whipround for £140 so we can get you signed up for this, stat:

http://www.iam.org.uk/eshop/Purchase+Skill+for+Life/Car+sfl.htm

grimly motorcycles need to get with the program & just use the force

More calmly: two seconds would be excessive for a shoulder-check, yes. But I'm assuming that was exaggeration for effect?

If not: that IAM link is a doozy once again.

Grimly, I think it also depends on the type of car you have. If you have an SUV, this is larger than say my Mazda Demio. I do look over my shoulder though, regardless of my dad's advice.

awaiting ledge's sequel thread:

People who keep their hands at 10 and 2 while driving, classic or fucking terrifying?

While we're on the topic:

The traditional way to set up side mirrors seems to be so that you can see down the side of your car on either end. However, if you do this you'll notice your side door mirrors overlap hugely with what your rearview mirror shows. The best way to do it is to push them out until there's about a 1/4 overlap between your rearview mirror and your side door mirrors.

Car Talk says it best, as usual.

I think about it when driving sometimes! Especially when I do a quick glance over the shoulder when changing lanes

I don’t drive very often but am renting a car this week. And when I signal to change it beep beep beeps at me if there is something close to my blind spot. It’s useful.

My new car has lots of cameras and sensors that emit loud beeping noises whenever another vehicle gets within 10 feet of it.

New cars are very safety-oriented, I am learning. My car (a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek) will not move if my seat belt's not fastened.

I mostly ride old honda motorbikes so my head is swiveling all over the place, the mirrors are the size of nickels

Only been driving for five years but pretty sure the blindspot checking was for when you were pulling out into traffic, as the flow is faster to your right and slower to your left it's more a question of watching all of your mirrors for 10-20 seconds, would be very unlikely for a car to sit in your blind spot that whole time, especially as you pick up speed when yr overtaking.

After 30+ years driving on freeways during crowded commutes I have learned that even if you turn your side-view mirrors out slightly to better see your blind spots (which I do), you have to look briefly over your shoulder when changing lanes to make sure someone is not coming up on your side

I drove a cargo van recently and was surprised how small the blind spots are. Really huge mirrors.

never saw this thead before, was astonished that nothing else even had time to be considered in 2009 afaict, and that ppl didn’t just immed say “what a mad post really” and ignore it

Also colorado is now 65% rotaries and people didn’t seem to know the term “rotary” until now and looked at me as tho i invented a word. i grew up adjacent or in mass or with mass people and was like “yeah what are u mental? it’s like a… a traffic circle.”

or a roundabout

my favourite thread, I think about it every time i don't check over my shoulder when changing lanes because I've been checking my mirrors and am well aware that my blind spot is clear!

Absolutely commend your commitment to being brazenly wrong about this Ledge. Not even being sarcastic about it. You keep checking those mirrors man, the rest of us salute you 🫡

(Please check your blind spots people)

I was reminded that at the driving exam they make you look twice, supposedly once before indicating and again before moving, and I was like "who checks twice?".

Always drive fast enough that you’re the one doing the passing. Then no one can come up in your blind spot and you don’t really even need your mirrors.

its really, really easy for someone to be in your blindspot for an extended period of time

I just change lanes while staring forward and wait for the honk. Then I politely wave as they pull back on to the road

This thread and the one where someone said they eat the sticker on an apple will live forever in my head

its really, really easy for someone to be in your blindspot for an extended period of time

not if there's a constant flow of traffic past you in the faster lane.

xp link me pls

Where do you live ledge, apparently you don’t have absolute lunatics on the road like us ‘mericans.

Here in DC if the roads aren’t jammed it’s Mad Max out here and you’ll likely see a guy strapped to a war machine playing a flamethrower/guitar.

people intentionally hang in the blind spot here so that you can't pass them. it's a total pass-agg thing.

uk so you always pass on the right, never (or rarely) on the left. the worst & most frequent crime over here is hogging the middle lane when there's heaps of space in the left.

“the” middle lane?

I agree that when there’s like 5 other cars on the road you don’t really need to worry about checking your blind spot so much

Well here we pass in any damn lane, exit lanes, speed up lanes, the shoulder, the median, etc.

And everyone drives three ton trucks that will obliterate my Hyundai to their desk jobs

the” middle lane?

there are some four or five lane motorway sections here, but not many.

the real treasure are the friends we ran over on the way to work

we should ask a bird this question

classic

hogging the middle lane

=sensible driving surely? You're not in the way of drivers getting onto the road at the inside lane, and anyone wanting to pass can do so on the outside.

correct

xp

i interviewed one local bird

As a bird, I rely heavily on my sharp vision and quick reflexes to navigate the world. From my perspective, I think drivers checking their blind spot by looking over their shoulder makes a lot of sense, and here's why:

Expanded Awareness: When I'm zipping around flowers and trees, I constantly turn my head to get a full view of my surroundings. My peripheral vision and quick head movements help me avoid obstacles and spot predators. Similarly, drivers looking over their shoulder get a wider field of view, helping them see areas that mirrors might miss. This can prevent accidents, much like how I avoid bumping into leaves or branches.

Depth Perception: Just like I gauge distances to flowers or feeders by moving my head, turning your head while driving gives better depth perception. This can help drivers accurately judge the distance and speed of vehicles in their blind spot, making lane changes safer.

Mirrors Have Limitations: Even the best mirrors can't show everything. There are always small blind spots that can hide a car, just like how leaves can obscure my view of a flower. By looking over their shoulder, drivers can make sure they're not missing anything, just as I always double-check before darting forward.

Human Nature: While mirrors are helpful, human brains process information more effectively with direct visual confirmation. Turning your head and using your natural field of vision is like my instinct to survey my environment—it’s built into us for safety and survival. i like to eat worms and shit on people from above!

i also think about this thread a lot! i rely on mirrors most of the time but every once in a while ya gotta glance imo

Isn't/wasn't ledge a big cyclist iirc? Cyclists are experts at turning their head without jerking the wheel off course, they do it all the time.

i interviewed one local bird

― z_tbd

we prefer to be called "women" these days

=sensible driving surely? You're not in the way of drivers getting onto the road at the inside lane, and anyone wanting to pass can do so on the outside.

it is actively discouraged by the UK gov as it causes congestion. you can merge into the middle lane when a slip road comes up.

Isn't/wasn't ledge a big cyclist iirc

I is/was.

xp otm

everything to the right is an overtaking lane

I see everyone has already covered the “ftlog never drive in the US, you will die” angle

As mentioned passim I recently passed my motorcycle test. Did I mention that I recently passed my motorcycle test? I did. I recently passed my motorcycle test. I had six minors. Many, many years ago I would have followed that with "and their parents were all unawares", but you aren't allowed to make that kind of joke any more. Because an awful lot of families in Wales lost their livelihoods, and the police response was totally disproportionate.

One of the things the instructor hammered into me was The Lifesaver. When you pull away you should do a lifesaver, and preferably a full over-the-shoulder check. When you change lanes, do a lifesaver. Coming off a roundabout? Do a lifesaver. Every time you change position on the road you should do a lifesaver. A mirror check is fine if you're just pulling forward in traffic from a stop, but otherwise your head should be darting left and right like Dana Carvey in the "Turtle Club" scene from The Master of Disguise. You have to be really turtly to be a member of the turtle club. Really turtly.

I remember pooh-poohing lifesavers. What does the instructor know? What does he know of postmodernism? How many signed copies of Fox Base Alpha does he own? And on a serious level I remember thinking (as the OP points out) that there's a danger I'm going to be smash into something directly in front of me because I was looking backwards. And of course when you turn your head, you naturally start to steer in that direction, which is potentially disastrous.

But about a week after passing my test I went to switch lanes, all casual-like, and - yikes! - there was a car there. It came from nowhere. Luckily I paused before actually changing lanes, but if I hadn't I would be on a spinal ward somewhere typing this with my nose.

Or I would be typing it by blinking my eyes. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference, because you can't see my fingers flashing over the keyboard. But the point still stands. It's a lot easier to participate in dialogue on the internet if you have full control of your limbs, plus a good keyboard, a big screen, a fast computer that can open lots of tabs. Otherwise you're reduced to the level of people who surf the internet on their mobile phones. One-word replies. AI-generated replies. Canned replies.

No, without the use of my fingers I would be unable to - or more likely unwilling to - post 500-word replies to threads on Ilxor about traffic. And the world would be a poorer place. A little madder, a little sadder. And that! That.

So on my two 120 mile drives this weekend I did check my blind spot when merging on to the motorway, and when changing lanes if the traffic was particularly busy. Otherwise had no problem as usual using just my mirrors to keep track of what was behind me and passing me.

Alright I can see how this would be necessary if I were on a multi lane highway with passing allowed on both sides - perhaps the most common experience! But if I'm in the middle lane in the UK and I'm looking to overtake, I can see who's behind me in my lane, I can see who's coming up on the outside, there's no danger of someone appearing in my blind spot out of nowhere.

Had a near miss a few weeks ago, when someone pulled into my lane as I was about to overtake them and only avoided collision by slamming on the anchors. I’m sure they were checking their mirrors too.

I'm sure they weren't or they'd have seen you!

i was afraid of doing shoulder checks when i was learning to drive. my trick is that i get my torso into the position for it while still looking ahead, then quickly turning my head. it might make it faster, or it might just feel faster, i don't know.

dunning Krueger effect, false traffic omniscience