Blind Spots!!

af_thefragile

Today I was driving on a dual carriage way and as I somehow ended up on the right lane, I wanted to move back into the left lane.
So I indicate, check my rearview and left side mirror, it looks clear and I start to move. Just when my accompanying passenger/driver yells out "watch out!" and I stop moving and get back into my lane.

Turns out there was a Peugeot 206 right besides my car, in my blindspot. I couldn't see it till I slowed down a bit in my lane and saw it pass by in the left side lane and then proceeded to get back into the left lane.

Point is to make sure you check your blind spots before changing lanes!! Look over your left shoulder before you change into the left lane cuz there could be someone in your blindspot whom you'ld never see and end up accidently ramming into!!

You learn something new everyday!! And I should have had thought harder before I got the Puma!!
Though its still a brilliant car to drive. Don't regret getting it at all!!

MascotDec85

I'm not going to be smart here. You've had a lucky escape and I bet you got a fright. I'd urge you to ask yourself some questions though.

How did you "end up" in the right hand lane? Did you observe properly and signal before you did or did you drift?

It might be the way you've typed up what happened but you said,

So I indicate, check my rearview and left side mirror

You know that's not right, yeah?

We discussed your cars windows/mirrors before but I'd say that during this drive you weren't observing correctly.

Were you using all your mirrors as you were driving along? Did the Pug come from a slip road from your left?
Someone suggested you buy those small mirrors that sit on the top of your wing mirrors. I would if I were you.

Another, more drastic course of action would be to talk to your garage and ask them if they can do a swap with your car. They might well do. An ex of mine did something similar.

erwinvr101

good thing someone's with you while your driving. happened to me twice before. checked all my mirrors, everything's clear but then this one car just suddenly appeared as if from nowhere i almost wet my pants because of it.

af_thefragile

^it is pretty scary alrite. But then I say this is how you learn to be that bit extra careful in the future. Learn from mistakes and the close calls. Make you realise you're not invincible and you've still got a lot to learn!!

MascotDec85 wrote: »

I'm not going to be smart here. You've had a lucky escape and I bet you got a fright. I'd urge you to ask yourself some questions though.

How did you "end up" in the right hand lane? Did you observe properly and signal before you did or did you drift?

It might be the way you've typed up what happened but you said,



You know that's not right, yeah?

We discussed your cars windows/mirrors before but I'd say that during this drive you weren't observing correctly.

Were you using all your mirrors as you were driving along? Did the Pug come from a slip road from your left?
Someone suggested you buy those small mirrors that sit on the top of your wing mirrors. I would if I were you.

Another, more drastic course of action would be to talk to your garage and ask them if they can do a swap with your car. They might well do. An ex of mine did something similar.

It did give me a fairly good fright yeah. A bit of a reality check. So next time every time I was in the right lane and had to move into the left lane, I made sure I gave a quick glance over my left shoulder to see if there was nothing by the side of the car.

Don't quite remember how I got into the right lane. I think it was cuz when I turned onto the road, there were people in the left lane so I had to get into the right lane.

I think I was indicating for a while before I made the move. All along the car was right next to me so I could never see it in the mirrors.

If you don't mind me asking, what checks would you do before you move from one lane into another? I usually check center mirror, side mirror (the side i'm moving towards) and move... I have to admit I do forget to look over the shoulder at times. Though I always look over the shoulder before moving off from parked and turning left onto a road.

And I did check my mirrors many times after my passenger told me about the pug and I still couldn't find it in the mirrors. I only saw it when it passed by besides me as I slowed down a little. It was there right besides my car all along I presume which is why I couldn't spot it in the mirrors. Cuz every time I change lanes, I give a long look in the mirrors and check them many times to make sure there is nothing creeping up from besides...

I think I might head down to halfords this weekend and get those mirrors for my car...
Can't exchange it cuz I got it off a private sale and I like it. Its a really nice drive, very responsive and a lot of feel to it. So wouldn't really want anything else!

MascotDec85

af_thefragile wrote: »

^it is pretty scary alrite. But then I say this is how you learn to be that bit extra careful in the future. Learn from mistakes and the close calls. Make you realise you're not invincible and you've still got a lot to learn!!


It did give me a fairly good fright yeah. A bit of a reality check. So next time every time I was in the right lane and had to move into the left lane, I made sure I gave a quick glance over my left shoulder to see if there was nothing by the side of the car.

Don't quite remember how I got into the right lane. I think it was cuz when I turned onto the road, there were people in the left lane so I had to get into the right lane.

I think I was indicating for a while before I made the move. All along the car was right next to me so I could never see it in the mirrors.

If you don't mind me asking, what checks would you do before you move from one lane into another? I usually check center mirror, side mirror (the side i'm moving towards) and move... I have to admit I do forget to look over the shoulder at times. Though I always look over the shoulder before moving off from parked and turning left onto a road.

And I did check my mirrors many times after my passenger told me about the pug and I still couldn't find it in the mirrors. I only saw it when it passed by besides me as I slowed down a little. It was there right besides my car all along I presume which is why I couldn't spot it in the mirrors. Cuz every time I change lanes, I give a long look in the mirrors and check them many times to make sure there is nothing creeping up from besides...

I think I might head down to halfords this weekend and get those mirrors for my car...
Can't exchange it cuz I got it off a private sale and I like it. Its a really nice drive, very responsive and a lot of feel to it. So wouldn't really want anything else!

You're right enough with your obs. It was the way you typed it.

I teach:

Left Mirror
Left Signal
If safe, move.

Others teach. Centre mirror, left mirror, left signal.
My way is that you should be looking in your centre mirror (and wing mirrors) frequently anyway.

When changing lanes you don't have to look over your shoulder as long as you are effectively using your mirrors. I'd suggest that you DO look over your shoulders until you get used to this car.

I don't want to sound like killjoy here but I'd guess that you had your stereo on?
If so, it might be an idea to leave it off until you're more experienced. You might have heard that car today. You need to use all your senses.

Try and get back into the left lane at the first opportunity too. It could be that after you moved into the right lane you stayed there too long and the Pug decided to undertake you (obviously wrong). Not saying that this happened but just trying to cover the bases in 1 post

af_thefragile

MascotDec85 wrote: »

You're right enough with your obs. It was the way you typed it.

I teach:

Left Mirror
Left Signal
If safe, move.

Others teach. Centre mirror, left mirror, left signal.
My way is that you should be looking in your centre mirror (and wing mirrors) frequently anyway.

When changing lanes you don't have to look over your shoulder as long as you are effectively using your mirrors. I'd suggest that you DO look over your shoulders until you get used to this car.

I don't want to sound like killjoy here but I'd guess that you had your stereo on?
If so, it might be an idea to leave it off until you're more experienced. You might have heard that car today. You need to use all your senses.

Try and get back into the left lane at the first opportunity too. It could be that after you moved into the right lane you stayed there too long and the Pug decided to undertake you (obviously wrong). Not saying that this happened but just trying to cover the bases in 1 post

Hopefully those blindspot eh... spotting mirrors should be helpful.
And next time I won't have the music much loud, or might as well leave it off. Though I can't hear much if I have the windows up too. But I guess the music makes it worse. It definitely makes it more difficult to hear the engine and I need to rely on the rev counter at times to figure out when to change gears.

And I wouldn't wanna be getting ahead of myself here but I don't think the Pug owner wasn't doing the right thing driving right besides me all the time in my blindspot. And I did give the signal well in advance, as I always usually do and she kept on driving straight without trying to slow down or anything. As I said, it was only after I slowed down in my lane (i.e. the right lane) that I could see her pass by on the inside in the left lane and after she passed by I moved over into the left lane.

I do check my mirrors constantly as I move lanes to make sure there is absolutely nothing coming from behind/besides. I think it's the Puma's small side mirrors which are at fault here... So first thing to do tomorrow is to get those mirrors to fit onto the side mirrors!

I think it was also something that I thought I had to turn right so I was in the right lane but then realised I had to go straight on so had to get back into the left lane. Can't really remember how it all happened. I was driving for a while so i was fairly relaxed and don't remember much what happened before and after. Just remember the Pug in the blindspot incident as it gave me quite a nice fright!

MascotDec85

af_thefragile wrote: »

Hopefully those blindspot eh... spotting mirrors should be helpful.
And next time I won't have the music much loud, or might as well leave it off. Though I can't hear much if I have the windows up too. But I guess the music makes it worse. It definitely makes it more difficult to hear the engine and I need to rely on the rev counter at times to figure out when to change gears.

And I wouldn't wanna be getting ahead of myself here but I don't think the Pug owner wasn't doing the right thing driving right besides me all the time in my blindspot. And I did give the signal well in advance, as I always usually do and she kept on driving straight without trying to slow down or anything. As I said, it was only after I slowed down in my lane (i.e. the right lane) that I could see her pass by on the inside in the left lane and after she passed by I moved over into the left lane.

I do check my mirrors constantly as I move lanes to make sure there is absolutely nothing coming from behind/besides. I think it's the Puma's small side mirrors which are at fault here... So first thing to do tomorrow is to get those mirrors to fit onto the side mirrors!

I think it was also something that I thought I had to turn right so I was in the right lane but then realised I had to go straight on so had to get back into the left lane. Can't really remember how it all happened. I was driving for a while so i was fairly relaxed and don't remember much what happened before and after. Just remember the Pug in the blindspot incident as it gave me quite a nice fright!

Sound

Try then to maintain your speed and move into the left lane smoothly. Sounds like you slowing down might have caused the problem. Also slowing down in that manner could have caused a further problem behind you.

As an aside to explain what I mean and I don't know if you are aware of this but if there are cars travelling in a line and one brakes, each car behind brakes harder and so on. You get a ripple effect. This is way on the motorway traffic stops and people say, "We stopped but there was accident of anything." That type of problem is amplified on the motorway due to the increased speeds.

Hope that helps