rbackhouse

If you follow the SAE's approach on setting up your mirrors detailed here you don't actually need an additional blind spot mirror

How To: Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots - Feature - Car and Driver

Steerpike

I wonder if the OP has encountered the joys of 'Right Turn On Red' yet (and the grief you get if you don't 'go' when you can).

Regarding mini-roundabouts ... they weren't around much when I lived there, so I never really got the hang of them. My brother (who still lives there) insists the rules are the same for mini roundabouts ... give way to traffic in the circle ... but in reality, the circle is so small, what seems to happen is, you are giving way to traffic approaching the circle also - so if you are on a quiet road that is joined to a busy road by a mini roundabout, you seem to get stuck for ages waiting for a gap, which is in theory what the mini roundabout is meant to prevent.

Rete

Sorry but I don't consider that glancing over my shoulder necessary to check my blindspot. Glancing over my shoulder would require me to turn my upper body and head to see behind me. I glance to the left and right towards my shoulder but the sight line is limited whereas to turn my upper body and head and visually look behind me to see all of the lane takes too much attention away from watching what is happening in front of me.

MorsePacific

I don't think anyone is advocating turning your whole body to look out the back window. Turning my head left to right over one shoulder or the other means I'm looking out of my rear-seat windows. That, combined with judicious use of mirrors, means you should see 99% of any vehicles in your blind spot.
Looking out of your front side windows is not enough (unless it's a certain type of vehicle, see below). You'd fail a test in the UK for not checking in this way.

I suppose there's cases where your car might have large blind spots*, or someone is changing lanes in such a way that it makes them invisible, but that's what the mirrors are there for.

*I've driven roadsters that with the canvas roof up have zero visibility in huge blind spots - you just have to be extra careful checking your mirrors. Same with vans.

[EDIT]
Because I'm anal about these things, I just started a video selfie, looked over my shoulder the way I would if I were changing lanes, and back again. The video was a second long. That's enough time to check and, if you feel like you're going to need longer and there's traffic up ahead, modulate your speed accordingly after reviewing potential hazards up ahead (i.e. is anyone else signalling that they might be making a move soon?)

I suppose if you have a medical condition (reduced mobility in your neck) then that causes a problem, but otherwise you should always be checking.

MorsePacific

Oh I LOVE Right On Red!! I wish we had Left On Red in the UK, it helps the traffic flow no end under certain circumstances.
A funny moment last year in Massachusetts - somebody was sat at a Right on Red signal, however he was going straight over, so the light for him was - obviously - red! The woman behind him in the SUV however, well, she wanted to go right.

Despite the obviousness of the fact that the guy in front was going straight over, she was screaming at him. We were in the next lane just looking at her with bemusement. She was apoplectic with rage, yelling and ranting and beeping the horn. What did she expect the guy to do?

Giantaxe

Not so good for pedestrians, particularly in urban areas. The last two words of "right on red after stop" are so frequently ignored.

lizzyq

When I took my test months ago here in PA, my examiner said I needed to be more thorough about checking my blindspots, so some places are more insistent upon it. Also at our test center you have to parallel park successfully before heading out onto the public road.

jellybean_17

Exactly this

I would rather check my blind spot even with a stiff neck than risk ploughing into somebody! Especially bikers, they can often be difficult to spot without a glance Oh well what do I know....20 years driving, ZERO accidents, multiple countries driven in, multiple vehicles (vans, trucks, huge ass loaded trailers attached) and 3 different tests taken!

WEBlue

Ditto for me & the Husband in CT (Connecticut) 5 years ago!

Parallel parking was part of our road test, and I was told my over-the-shoulder glance before changing lanes on the highway was "almost" too short, though I wasn't marked down for it. This was on a 55 MPH dual carriageway.

In fact, I didn't find the road test so laughably "easy" as many here say they do.... It may not be as rigourous as the UK driving test, but it wasn't a joke either. I suppose it varies from state to state--like everything else here.

malch

When taking your driving test in CA, it really is necessary to check the blind spots by looking over your shoulder, that is assuming you want to pass.

As for right-on-red in Boston... one time I landed at Logan and the Hertz shuttle bus driver taking us from the terminal to the rental lot announced...

"Welcome to Boston where we have right-on-red. And left-on-red..."

Those who have driven in Boston will know he wasn't joking :-)

jellybean_17

It's good to hear that some states provide a more rigorous test
The test I took in Florida took 10 minutes and consisted of - reverse out of parking spot, drive around the parking lot to the exit, drive across 2 lane barely used road into another parking lot. Drive to the end of the row of parked cars, make a left, drive into a parking spot also marked with cones. Reverse from said spot, proceed out of parking lot, onto the 2 lane road for 10 seconds, turn right, drive 10 seconds, turn right (all on 2 lane barely used roads - I saw one other car). Proceed on empty 2 lane road to a speed of 20mph and perform emergency stop. Reverse until examiner said stop, 3 point turn, drive back to test center all of 1 minute max away at no more than 20 mph Test done! Its the one driving test I don't feel any sense of achievement passing, because lets face it if you fail that 'test' you should stick to public transport

md95065

Despite the subtitle of that article, "Less obvious than it sounds", that seems to me to be a completely obvious way to (attempt to) adjust one's mirrors. Doesn't everyone do it that way?

The problem is that, on some vehicles, it still doesn't quite eliminate the blind spots.

johnwoo

S. Susan how are you dealing with the heat? another scorcher in the East Bay today.

S.Susan

oh no , i cant do parallel parking ! i hate it !

S.Susan

thanks for asking...i literally was joking with my children today that it is far too hot and it is time to go back to England....serioulsy how long it will be like this ?
i miss the rain !