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The blind spot

So today when going in the outer lane, I noticed a new Volvo SUV in the middle lane to my left, the door mirror had small orange light at the top corner. the orange light would go on and off. At first I thought that it was the indicator, but none of the other indicators were signalling. As it looked like a quite new volvo SUV, suddlenly it dawned on me that it must have been a blind spot detection device.

But is there really a blind spot? it appears that you can see everything in front of the car and everything at the rear in the door mirror. So I got hooked on the idea; nothing better to do. The problem is how do you know that you can't see something that you can't see?

When in the middle lane, I checked a couple of cars passing on my right to see it they would dissapear in the door mirror at some point. They would certainly shrink to less than a metre such that only the front would be vissible. This means that a very short car such as the smartcar could be completely hidden in the blind spot. Or a motorbike, but they are usually noticed by their noise and weaving in and out.

Reply to
johannes
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Our Outlander has this system (and others). It also sounds a beeper if you indicate while it detects a vehicle in the 'zone'.

You can turn it off.

I'm wary of becoming reliant on it, not least as we have several vehicles and the others don't have this gizmos.

I've mixed views on such systems- one concern is people who shouldn't be driving are fooled into thinking they compensate for failing mental awareness etc.

Reply to
Brian Reay

The missus' 2014 V40 has it - they call it BLIS. But what if it somehow packs in?

Reply to
Dan S. MacAbre

Yes, cars can get hidden behind the pillars.

Strangely, it's the smallest car in my collection which has the biggest issue with this.

(I bought a Seicento Schumacher last week...)

Reply to
Steve H

My Volvo C70 has very thick pillars either side of the windscreen, and these create a couple of really big blind spots. So, I'm well protected if the car rolls over, but more likely to pull out in front of a car I can't see. It's a bugger.

Reply to
GB

GB submitted this idea :

It caused me considerable concern when the thick A pillars began to appear, especially after seeing a demo film of approaching a roundabout, seeing it as empty, then filmed from a slightly different position there being three vehicles already there - hidden by the A pillars. So I felt the need to modify my driving style...

If there is any possibility of a vehicle or person being hidden, I move my head around to make absolutely sure there is nothing hidden.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Same here, it has saved something nasty many times. I recently was driving a Merc in Southern Ireland along really nadgery single track roads, literally having to get my head up to the screen to see round bends, a pick up with a sprayer appeared at quite a speed, as I was moving slow and prepared I made room and went up the verge a bit, but I still had to reverse to a gateway as a combine was immediately behind him!

Reply to
MrCheerful

I think blind spots can also occur due to mirror adjustment. As different drivers need to adjust the rear view and door mirror, any area not 'covered' must move- albeit slightly (the slightly being due to the dead spot being near the car whereas the mirrors are adjusted to see distance from a close observer).

Those who have a wife/husband/partner who is significantly different in height and shares driving will have noticed the view in the mirrors before adjusting them.

Reply to
Brian Reay

My car has an electrically adjustable driver's seat and mirrors. I share the car with my wife, and the seat and mirror automatically change, depending on which key is used. I bought the car secondhand at auction, and I'd never have thought of paying extra for that, but it's turned out to be incredibly useful.

Reply to
GB

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