Blind Spots
A blind spot is the area of a vehicle that cannot be directly observed by the driver while driving. Due to reduced visibility, blind spot accidents commonly occur on driveways, roundabouts, intersections, and multi-lane roads. Drivers also fail to check their blind spots when switching lanes which can subsequently lead to a car accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 840,000 car accidents were caused by blind spots in the United States which led to over 300 fatalities. The loss of lives and property in blind spot car accidents are devastating, yet not every driver can guarantee to check their blind spots before merging.
Admittedly, the blind spot is one of the most significant flaws in automotive design. Fortunately, in recent years, driving safety has raised the attention of automakers and legislators. Several safety-related inventions have been created. The invention of a backup camera successfully solved the problems of blind spots behind the car by providing immediate backup video to the display. The invention of the backup camera has reduced the fatality rate by 31% reported by the Los Angeles Times. Legislators have also been working towards improving rearward visibility for years until it has been written into law. After that being taken into effect, all new vehicles that weigh less than 10,000 pounds will be required to have a backup camera by May of 2018.
Compared with back over accidents, blind spots while merging can be equally deadly. Side blind spot accidents are most likely to happen when a motorist switches lanes without noticing another vehicle coming from the side. It is highly recommended that you check blind spots before switching lanes. Here are some tips for checking blind spots:
- Check both the rearview mirror and side mirrors.
- Be aware of your surroundings
However, no matter how careful you are, the risk is still there. Therefore, in order to fully eliminate blind spots while driving, auto engineers have come up with the car camera system which usually consists of side-view cameras, rearview cameras, and backup cameras. Acumen digital rearview mirrors offer drivers the opportunity to reduce blind spots by deploying wide-angle front and rear cameras. The dual-channel digital rearview mirror dash cam provides immediate rearview videos to the display not only when backing up, but also when you are driving forward. The 100° rear camera provides an unobstructed view of the traffic behind and thus greatly reduces the blind spots when changing lanes.
