Freeing Your Vision of Blind Spots

When you're driving it's essential to know your view in front and behind is clear of any obstructions, but how can you eliminate blind spots from your vision? Follow a few simple tips from Test Nissan and you can drive in confidence.

First, when loading your car with luggage (or even with a large number of passengers), always take a moment before you set off to check the mirrors. Is that tall person in the middle of the rear seat potentially blocking the view from your central mirror? Are the bags in the trunk piled so high you can't check the rear window? Side-view mirrors are invaluable, but they can't tell you what's approaching directly behind your vehicle, so once all the luggage and passengers are on board, do a quick mirror check to make sure you have an unobstructed view.

When it comes to the side-view mirrors, however, you need to position them so they cover the broadest possible area behind the car in order to ensure your vision is clear of blind spots. To adjust the driver mirror, move your head close to the driver's window, and adjust the driver's side-view mirror so it focuses on the rear panels of your car. Although this sounds crazy, this means when you shoot a quick glance into the mirror when driving, you will be able to see more or less directly behind you.

For the passenger side-view mirror, repeat the same procedure. Lean towards the center of the car before adjusting the mirror so it points at the rear panels of the vehicle on the passenger side. Again, when you check the mirror with a quick glance, your field of vision will be much closer to the center of the road than if the mirror points further away from the body of the car.

Don't rely solely on the wing mirrors, however—the driver and passenger windows themselves give a driver valuable information about potential dangers on either side of the vehicle, particularly if a car is overtaking quickly. Never hesitate to ask a passenger to lean back if they are obstructing your view through their window, as they would rather be uncomfortable than responsible for causing a collision!

Essentially, to ensure your vision is free of blind spots when driving, you should attempt to ensure the view from your side windows overlaps slightly with the view from your side mirrors, and similarly that the side mirrors overlap their field of vision with the view from your central mirror. In this way, you can have peace of mind that you are almost as aware of threats behind the car as you are of obstacles coming up ahead!