What are blind spots in a car and how can you reduce their danger?

One of the most common concepts and that generates the most problems when driving is that of blind spots, an inconvenience that causes a series of road accidents when overtaking, turning or a U-turn, at which point we unfortunately hit another vehicle, a motorcyclist, a cyclist or even a pedestrian.

But what are blind spots? Conaset defines this concept as “the angles in which, from the driver’s position, his field of vision is limited, which hinders his visual width and creates risk areas where the possibility of participating or being involved in an accident increases of the road “.

Blind spots are not just in the rear pillar (or C-pillar), but in all corners where visibility is lost. It should be noted that a person has a forward visual field of 180° and 100° vertically, it is therefore essential to have support towards areas where visibility is lost.

Now, if the blind spot (also called blind spot) is added to the lack of concentration of many drivers while driving, it is not difficult to see that it will be one of the problems that increases the statistics nationally in the national accident rate.

To know how to reduce these complicated blind spots, the European Automobile Club of Chile (CEA) has developed a series of tips that contribute to safety:

• The left exterior mirror should allow a slight view of the right edge at the rear of the vehicle body. The other area of ​​the mirror should allow you to see the car behind you and the lane in which it is traveling.
• The right exterior mirror should slightly show the rear of the vehicle and the road ahead.

• The interior rear view mirror must broadly and completely reflect the rear area which includes the rear window (rear windshield).
• The mirrors must be in good condition, clean, without obstacles or cracks obstructing vision.
• If possible, in addition to leaning on mirrors, take a quick glance by turning your head.
• How to deal with the problems caused by the blind spot is essential to avoid accidents, but certain actions must also be taken into account by drivers who approach other moving vehicles and by pedestrians, who must precisely do pay attention to this blind visual field.

In this case, the CEA recalls that:

• When overtaking or making an overtaking maneuver, never place yourself in the blind spot of another vehicle.
• Smaller vehicles should signal their presence near larger vehicles (trucks and buses), trying not to place themselves in blind spots.
• Drivers of older vehicles, on the other hand, must pay attention to the traffic conditions where they are traveling, especially when maneuvering left or right turns at street intersections. This tends to preserve the physical integrity of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists who, in certain cases, tend to overtake this type of vehicle.
• When reversing, especially for large vehicles, make sure that there are no vehicles or people behind who could be impacted.

Driving assistance systems (ADAS) have become an important ally for drivers, since thanks to cameras and sensors placed in different locations on the body, they are able to alert and even accompany the movements of the vehicle when they “feel” that a road accident may occur.

In the case of blind spots, the one that provides the most help is the lane departure warning system, which helps the driver keep the car in the lane while driving.

Although a few years ago models with blind spot alert began to arrive, where an alert in the rearview mirror indicated that a vehicle was approaching, the truth is that over time it has evolved and now this system can alert visually, with a warning light. on the dashboard and in the side mirror; audible alert when the system realizes that there is no reaction to the visual alert, by emitting a warning sound.

If the driver does not react – due to drowsiness or a major problem – on some models, the system moves the steering wheel and keeps it in the center of the lane to avoid collisions.

The Lane Change Warning and Maintenance system is optional in Chile for now, although in other markets like Europe it has become mandatory from 2022.