Simple rules you should know before driving

What is the blind spot?

The blind spot is an area around the vehicle that you can’t observe when driving, even while using your side mirrors. Although your mirrors give you a good view of the road behind you, that view is not complete.

Anytime you're changing lanes or merging, you'll want to check for any car blind spots in your view first. Flip on your turn signal to let other cars know you'll be moving over and check your rear mirrors and sidecar mirrors.

When should I check for blind spots?

1. Before driving off from a stationary position

It is very common to fail a driving test for failing to check a blind spot before driving off. You should check your right-hand blind spot by looking over your right shoulder before moving off. During your driving test, the examiner will ask you to park on the left and then ask you to move off again; this is so they can check to see if you observe your blind spots.

2. Whenever changing lanes

You’ve got to check for blind spots before changing lanes. Check your left-hand mirrors and blind spot before changing into the left lane and check your right-hand mirrors and blind spot before moving into the right lane. Easy.

3. Whenever there are vulnerable road users nearby

If you’ve recently overtaken a cyclist or motorcyclist, take extra care to check for blind spots before turning or changing lanes.

Can I get rid of blind spots?

Small additional mirrors can be attached to your side mirrors to reduce the size of blind spots.