Blind Spot Negligence: Who is at Risk?

Every driver is taught that their vehicle has certain blind spots where objects can’t be seen from the windshield or from any mirror. Drivers are also taught to manually check blind spots and ensure mirrors are properly adjusted before turning, changing lanes, and taking other actions.

But drivers are often negligent in managing their blind spots, which can lead to accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries. Who is at risk from blind spot negligence? While anyone in the vicinity of any motor vehicle is potentially at risk, some people have a much higher risk of injury than others.

Pedestrians

This first category of people at risk should not come as a surprise. Pedestrians are routinely ignored by drivers backing up in parking lots or turning at street corners. 

Many newer cars have cameras designed to help monitor blind spots and warn drivers when a pedestrian or vehicle is in their path while backing up or turning. Unfortunately, these cameras do not catch everything, and they can easily miss a pedestrian or delay a warning until it is too late to act. Drivers often rely on this technology and fail to check blind spots as they should.

Bicyclists

Bicyclists sometimes operate on the roads like motorized vehicles and sometimes move more like pedestrians. They are just as vulnerable to serious injuries as pedestrians, but those injuries often occur on roads with traffic moving at a higher speed.

While a bicycle’s frame makes a bicyclist more visible than a pedestrian, it is low to the ground and can easily blend in with the surroundings when a motorist is not paying attention. Bicyclists move much faster than pedestrians, so they can appear more quickly in a field of vision than someone on foot. If a driver checks a blind spot once and then assumes the area is still clear without checking again before making a turn, the motorist may hit a bicyclist that has come up alongside, riding on the edge of traffic as they are supposed to. Drivers have an obligation to be aware of what is going on around them at all times while driving, not just occasionally.

Motorcyclists

Motorcycles travel on major highways surrounded by large vehicles moving at high speeds. Yet they have the same narrow profile as a bicycle, and they can be difficult to see in mirrors or missed by safety cameras. Because motorcycles operate in close proximity to high-speed traffic, their riders may be at the greatest risk of injury from blind-spot negligence. 

When the driver of a car or truck turns or changes lanes without checking properly for the presence of a motorcycle and a rider is hit at high speed, the result is often deadly. Just as pedestrians and bicyclists lack the protection of a metal frame, motorcyclists do as well. They are often injured by the initial contact with another vehicle, further injured by contact with the road, and injured again by contact with other objects or vehicles. Meanwhile, the irresponsible driver who failed to properly check a blind spot may not be impacted at all.

Anyone Driving Near a Truck

Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists are vulnerable due to a lack of protection, but even drivers and passengers enclosed in a car become vulnerable when they are in the vicinity of a commercial truck. Tractor-trailers and other large trucks have blind spots that are much larger than most people realize. Trucking companies often put drivers on schedules that require them to operate at a fast pace while they are fatigued. Their equipment may not detect other vehicles in their multiple blind spots, and if they fail to take responsible steps before changing lanes or making other moves, they can easily trigger a serious accident.

The amount of space covered by a truck’s blind spots is simply staggering. Drivers of large trucks generally cannot see vehicles that are:

• Within 30 feet behind the truck
• Within 20 feet in front of the truck
• Next to the truck on the left (the blind spot extends from the truck driver’s position back for approximately 25 feet)
• Next to the truck on the right (this blind spot extends for two lanes from the front of cab back for up to 30 feet in roughly a triangular shape)

These areas are often referred to as “no-zones” because any vehicle operating in those positions are not visible to the driver and at extreme danger.

Protecting Yourself from Blind Spot Negligence

How can you avoid becoming a victim of blind spot negligence? You can’t control the actions of irresponsible drivers who refuse to take reasonable steps to check for people who may be in areas that aren’t visible in the mirror. Instead, you are limited to doing what you can to remain visible despite blind spot limitations.

While it makes sense to avoid riding or driving in another vehicle’s blind spots, it is not always possible. On multi-lane highways, remain aware of the blind spots in trucks in your area, and try to avoid traveling in those positions for more than a few seconds. If you can’t see the truck’s mirrors, then you are probably in one of the truck’s blind spots.

Motorcyclists can sometimes mitigate the dangers of blind spots by making themselves more visible generally. This includes wearing a white or brightly colored helmet, adding reflective strips to the bike or clothing, and installing daytime running lights. In many situations, riding on the left side of the lane makes a biker more visible in other vehicles’ mirrors.

Whether you are on foot or on wheels, it is safest to assume that others do not see you, and be prepared to make defensive maneuvers to protect yourself.

An Experienced Attorney Can Help You Obtain a Full Recovery When Other Drivers Are Negligent

Negligence in checking blind spots is just one of many ways that the irresponsible actions of drivers cause accidents that lead to severe injuries. When someone fails to do what they should, such as looking around before changing lanes, or they do something they should not, like looking at their cellphone while driving, an experienced attorney can help accident victims recover compensation for a wide range of effects. If you or a loved one were hurt in an accident, contact the Law Office of Benjamin Arsenian, PC to find out what may be possible to recover in your case.