Be honest: do you check your blind spot?

[Blueeberry]

I check mine (by quickly looking over my shoulder) religiously anytime I’m changing lane, especially on the motorway. Was speaking with a family member today however who seemed to think that blind spots were some sort of urban myth and insisted that you can see everything by just looking in your mirrors…

When I kindly informed her that no, you can’t see everything in your mirrors she told me that my idea of checking over my shoulder is ridiculous and dangerous, there’s no way that she’d feel comfortable doing it whilst driving. AIBU to think WTF?!

I can believe it based on the number of times people pull out dangerously close or try to pull our while I’m alongside. It just seems stupid. A quick check is easy and safe.

I do if for some reason I'm not already aware of what's around me, for example if I've just merged onto the motorway or been in one lane a while and lost track of what cars are where

I'm surprised how divided driving instructors are from reading these comments! I was a late learner, only passed in August last year and my instructor taught me to check my blind spot.

Ex biker. Always check.

This is exactly what happened to me. I used to be a bit more relaxed and it was 50/50 as to whether I checked or not. After a near miss with a car that seemed to come out of nowhere I always check now!! Sometimes a scare is needed.

You are not safe to be driving then

This. Never forgotten my lovely driving instructor (safely) showing me a milk float in my blindspot.

I was specifically told off in my driving lessons for looking over my shoulder, told 'keep your eyes front and on your mirrors'

However to my mind that is not foolproof and so I am religious about it

Im so fastidious about it that every time I do it, a fleeting thought goes through my head that if I have any accident in a car it will be the one rare time when I have thought Ive checked and hadnt, it would be sods law

Yep. Learnt to drive last year and this is very much correct, no idea why other people are disputing it. You can’t see everything from your mirrors and anyone that thinks they can has just been lucky to not get into an accident as a result of it.

Yes I was told I would fail my test if I did it.

How else do you check your blind spot if you dont physically look? This is taken from the RAC website.

1. Check the blind spot by turning your head and looking out of the window over your right or left shoulder (checking around any door frames or pillars)

When I learnt to
drive, over 50 years ago, blind spots were very much a thing. But technology has moved on, and modern mirrors and cameras now do the job for you.

I wonder if it's just one particular area of the country that is teaching people not to check their blind spot.

Absolute garbage.

Very simple question for those of you that rely on your mirrors alone, why is it called a “blind spot” if you can see everything in your mirror?

My cars for the last ten years or so have had a blind spot indicator.

Why is your upper body touching the wheel?
If you are moving the wheel by checking a blind spot you need to move the seat. It’s dangerous not to check

This thread is terrifying

I do every single time because not long after I passed my test I was moving from the outside lane of a motorway into the middle lane and almost totally missed the car in the left hand driving lane moving into the middle overtaking lane. It really shit me up. 15 years later I’ll never forget how scary it was and I’m a religious mirror and blind spot checker.

ALWAYS, having nearly side-swiped a car on the M3 over 25 years ago. Scared the bejesus out of me.

I was a biker before I drove cars - I always do the life-saver before I move over - it was ingrained in me by my boyfriends, CBT instructor, and the motorbike test assessor, plus my dad, my friends, every bike magazine etc.

And because I've had to train the kids, I do the same before I open the door too.

This really explains the many near-miss side swipes I’ve experienced on UK motorways. Other drivers terrify me! I always do the lifesaver look before changing lanes and when passing slip lanes as cars hurtle along them. I was taught to always check your blind spot… it seems mad that instructors are telling learners not to. Are lots of people really lane drifting from a quick head turn? It’s not much further than glancing in the wing mirrors which presumably (hopefully) they’re doing.

Every single time. One near miss when I was a learner, 20+ years ago and now every single time!

This is what I was taught! When I said it on a thread a few years back everyone went nuts and told me how lucky I was I hadn't caused a crash. I don't think it was luck. I think it was consistently checking the mirrors and being aware of the vehicles around me.

I agree, which is why, as I said, I do check.