Blind spots are incredibly important, yet often not understood or even completely ignored.
On the NSW driving test you must not miss more than two head checks total (also known as blind spots, shoulder checks, or side checks). This sounds easy, who misses their blind spots that often? Well, most of us, over half the people who fail do so because they missed three of more blind spots!
This post will help you understand what a blind spot is, where it is, and how to check it. And learning the MISS procedure to simplify and perfect blind spots.
Canada's Worst Driver has a blind spot challenge ever season, which you can watch here on YouTube. In this challenge they explain what a shoulder check is, how to do it, and are tested on it.
It is very important to understand this area as this is where people have accidents. You must know the blind spots around your car to drive correctly. If you do not know these areas
Below is a helpful diagram showing exactly where the blind spots are:
As you can see, there are four blind spots around the car, yet everyone is focused only on the back two. Even good driving instructors only discuss the back ones. Despite this the front two are very important, this is often why people don't see other cars at the roundabouts.
Learn how to check the blind spots, all four of them!
You should check your front blind spots on approach to intersections, crossings, or other such points of potential issue. Be mindful of the left front blind spot at crossings and lights. Pedestrians are small, they can appear from the left suddenly if inside the left blind spot. So, at crossings and if turning left at lights be mindful of the front left blind spot.
The front right blind spot is most noticeable at roundabouts, due to their shape and size a roundabout can hide small trucks to the right. Let alone a car or motorbike. This is why people go through a roundabout, cutting off a car to their right.
Here's an example of a motorbike being hit by a car on a roundabout due to not checking front blind spots.
Often by leaning forward to see past an obstacle (such as parked cars or walls) you will clear the front blind spots as well.
The back blind spots are more complicated and specific in when to check. It is essentially divided into sides, left and right. Check the left rear blind spot every time you:
1. Change lanes to the left.
2. Pull over (or move to stop next to the keb).
3. Turn left.
Check the right blind spot every time you:
1. Change lanes to the right.
2. Pull out (or leave the kerb).
These are the main times to check the blind spots, but there are others. Essentially if the car moves more than the size of the windscreen sideways, or if you are crossing a white line, you should check first. For example, when reverse parallel parking you must check right before swinging out backwards.
You don't check the right blind spot when turning right as you should have nothing there to worry about. You should have a whole lane separating you from parked cars and pedestrians, or any other issues. If not, well you're on the wrong side of the road. Skip the blind spot as you failed the test anyway.
If you find this difficult you're doing something wrong, simple small smooth movements are all that's needed.
The back blind spots are essential for the test, and driving in general. Simply turn your head around and check through the back corner of the rear passenger window. You should be looking out the side of the car, over your shoulder. Hence why it is also called a 'shoulder check' or 'side check'.
You only turn your head back for a second or two in a smooth easy motion, it's a check not a look, never a stare.
You only need to do one blind spot, left OR right, NOT both at the same instance. If moving left check left, if moving right check right. There's no need to check left and right for the same movement.
M.I.S.S stands for: Mirrors, Indicator, Side check, Steer.
- 1. Mirrors: check all three mirrors. If you do this first you will know what is around you and if it's safe or not before you try anything.
Have you seen someone struggle to find a gap when changing lanes? They weren't using their mirrors first, instead trying to find the gap over their shoulder or simply staring at one point. Not using all three to understand what was around them.
It sounds silly and many skip this step, but it make it so much easier as a driver.
- 2. Indicate: for five seconds. You used the mirrors, decided it was safe, so now tell everyone else what you're about to do. Warn others of what you're going to do and generally you will avoid accidents or issues.
To do this indicate for five seconds. On the test they will accept two or three seconds when doing things such as lane changing or turning left. The testing officers are really nice and understanding after all. However, when pulling over or leaving the kerb you must indicate for five seconds.
- 3. Side Check (or Blind Spot): Now the important part, check over your shoulder out the back side window. This should only be a quick check, remember, you know it's clear already. Think of it as a double check to make sure it is definitely 100% safe.
- 4. Steer: turn or go. Finally, you checked it's safe, you told everyone else, you double checked, now you get to go! This is where you can start to take your foot off the break and turn to pull out. Or start to turn the wheel to turn left or change lanes. Whatever you're doing, now you can do it.
- Get it in Order: Simply put, go M > I > S > S. You don't technically need to get it in this order for certain things, but it is in this order for a reason. Following this pattern and order will make it simple. People do fail for getting it out of order, as it doesn't count if you do it incorrectly.
- One at a Time: Don't try to rush M.I.S.S, people fail for trying to do too much at once and getting it wrong. People try to indicate while checking their mirrors, or try and steer while looking over their shoulder. It's too hard, and too easy to mess up. Do one thing at a time, mirrors, THEN indicate, THEN side check, THEN steer.
The exception to this is parked cars, on left turns you must check after the last parked car or it simply doesn't count. If a pedestrian is in front of the car, or the last car is about to drive off, then why check early? Check after the last parked car to see and avoid issues. Even if it means checking while steering.
On the NSW driving test you must not miss more than two head checks total (also known as blind spots, shoulder checks, or side checks). This sounds easy, who misses their blind spots that often? Well, most of us, over half the people who fail do so because they missed three of more blind spots!
This post will help you understand what a blind spot is, where it is, and how to check it. And learning the MISS procedure to simplify and perfect blind spots.
Canada's Worst Driver has a blind spot challenge ever season, which you can watch here on YouTube. In this challenge they explain what a shoulder check is, how to do it, and are tested on it.
What is a blind spot?
When instructing people many have no idea what a blind spot is, some have literally never even heard of it. A blind spot is simply an area you cannot see using the windows of the mirrors normally.It is very important to understand this area as this is where people have accidents. You must know the blind spots around your car to drive correctly. If you do not know these areas
Where are the blind spots?
This depends on the car itself, but essentially there are two main areas of blind spots. First; at the front on either side behind the pillars (the more modern the car the larger they tend to be). Secondly; behind the driver over their shoulders (these are the main ones everyone talks about).Below is a helpful diagram showing exactly where the blind spots are:
As you can see, there are four blind spots around the car, yet everyone is focused only on the back two. Even good driving instructors only discuss the back ones. Despite this the front two are very important, this is often why people don't see other cars at the roundabouts.
Learn how to check the blind spots, all four of them!
When do I check my blind spots?
 |
| Accident caused by not checking the front blind spot on turning (image source) |
The front right blind spot is most noticeable at roundabouts, due to their shape and size a roundabout can hide small trucks to the right. Let alone a car or motorbike. This is why people go through a roundabout, cutting off a car to their right.
Here's an example of a motorbike being hit by a car on a roundabout due to not checking front blind spots.
Often by leaning forward to see past an obstacle (such as parked cars or walls) you will clear the front blind spots as well.
The back blind spots are more complicated and specific in when to check. It is essentially divided into sides, left and right. Check the left rear blind spot every time you:
1. Change lanes to the left.
2. Pull over (or move to stop next to the keb).
3. Turn left.
Check the right blind spot every time you:
1. Change lanes to the right.
2. Pull out (or leave the kerb).
These are the main times to check the blind spots, but there are others. Essentially if the car moves more than the size of the windscreen sideways, or if you are crossing a white line, you should check first. For example, when reverse parallel parking you must check right before swinging out backwards.
Why do I check when turning left? And why not when I turn right?
When turning left you need to watch out for cyclists coming up, pedestrians, cars pulling out, etc. Basically things coming up on the left which may be an issue.You don't check the right blind spot when turning right as you should have nothing there to worry about. You should have a whole lane separating you from parked cars and pedestrians, or any other issues. If not, well you're on the wrong side of the road. Skip the blind spot as you failed the test anyway.
How do I check my blind spots?
The front blind spots are the easiest to check, and very important, yet often forgotten. To check them simply move your head side-to-side or back-and-forth slightly. Moving your head by just a bit (depending on the car) will completely clear the blind spots.If you find this difficult you're doing something wrong, simple small smooth movements are all that's needed.
The back blind spots are essential for the test, and driving in general. Simply turn your head around and check through the back corner of the rear passenger window. You should be looking out the side of the car, over your shoulder. Hence why it is also called a 'shoulder check' or 'side check'.
You only turn your head back for a second or two in a smooth easy motion, it's a check not a look, never a stare.
 |
| Turning the head fully, looking over behind the shoulder. NOT out the front side window. (image source) |
You only need to do one blind spot, left OR right, NOT both at the same instance. If moving left check left, if moving right check right. There's no need to check left and right for the same movement.
M.I.S.S: putting it all together
This is the difficult part, putting it together. Many people know what a blind spot is, many know how to do it, but many don't put it together. We will learn M.I.S.S, which makes blind spots so simple and easy. Anyone who struggles with blind spots should learn to M.I.S.S correctlyM.I.S.S stands for: Mirrors, Indicator, Side check, Steer.
- 1. Mirrors: check all three mirrors. If you do this first you will know what is around you and if it's safe or not before you try anything.
Have you seen someone struggle to find a gap when changing lanes? They weren't using their mirrors first, instead trying to find the gap over their shoulder or simply staring at one point. Not using all three to understand what was around them.
It sounds silly and many skip this step, but it make it so much easier as a driver.
- 2. Indicate: for five seconds. You used the mirrors, decided it was safe, so now tell everyone else what you're about to do. Warn others of what you're going to do and generally you will avoid accidents or issues.
To do this indicate for five seconds. On the test they will accept two or three seconds when doing things such as lane changing or turning left. The testing officers are really nice and understanding after all. However, when pulling over or leaving the kerb you must indicate for five seconds.
- 3. Side Check (or Blind Spot): Now the important part, check over your shoulder out the back side window. This should only be a quick check, remember, you know it's clear already. Think of it as a double check to make sure it is definitely 100% safe.
- 4. Steer: turn or go. Finally, you checked it's safe, you told everyone else, you double checked, now you get to go! This is where you can start to take your foot off the break and turn to pull out. Or start to turn the wheel to turn left or change lanes. Whatever you're doing, now you can do it.
Tricks of MISS
There's two tricks to MISS, first get it in order, and secondly one at a time.- Get it in Order: Simply put, go M > I > S > S. You don't technically need to get it in this order for certain things, but it is in this order for a reason. Following this pattern and order will make it simple. People do fail for getting it out of order, as it doesn't count if you do it incorrectly.
- One at a Time: Don't try to rush M.I.S.S, people fail for trying to do too much at once and getting it wrong. People try to indicate while checking their mirrors, or try and steer while looking over their shoulder. It's too hard, and too easy to mess up. Do one thing at a time, mirrors, THEN indicate, THEN side check, THEN steer.
The exception to this is parked cars, on left turns you must check after the last parked car or it simply doesn't count. If a pedestrian is in front of the car, or the last car is about to drive off, then why check early? Check after the last parked car to see and avoid issues. Even if it means checking while steering.