Blind-spot collisions are common, especially driving in the city where you’re surrounded by pedestrians, cyclists, parked cars, and all sorts of activity going on. Almost every day now in Toronto, someone is struck and sometimes with fatal consequences by drivers who are not checking the roads prior to making a turn, who aren’t paying attention in general, or who can’t see their blind spots. A simple mirror strategically placed outside your vehicle however can change all that.
As a driver, you have two mirrors outside the vehicle – one to the left side and one on the passenger’s side. We recommend placing a third and fourth mirror, each underneath the indicated mirrors you already have. The third and fourth mirrors are small, 360-degree rotatable mirrors manufactured with the specific purpose of giving a driver view of their blind spot on both sides. They’re very easily adjusted and can help a driver figure their way in and out of tight situations.
From our perspective, the more visibility, the better. A mirror like this is multi-purpose. Adjust the angle as you see fit and if you’re nervous about certain areas around your vehicle, install additionals. Using a mirror like this, you can forecast your surroundings any time passing or changing lanes and ensure you remain a safe driver at every opportunity. For cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, and even RVs, these are perfect and should be on every vehicle. Today, when a driver changes lanes, they check their mirrors and do a shoulder check – at least, you’re supposed to. Some get lazy and simply check their mirrors. That’s not acceptable.
In Canada, it’s estimated there are roughly 84,000 blind spot related accidents every year. Automobiles manufactured today have collision-avoidance systems and blind-spot alerts however these are not included in every vehicle. In fact, in some, you only receive these as additions on upgraded vehicles. If you don’t have one of these systems in your car, we strongly recommend getting set up with a mirror that’s going to give you the same oversight. See everything surrounding your vehicle and be confident, after you do your usual checks, you’re transitioning safely into another position on the road.
No one wants to be the vehicle that hits another vehicle, collides with a pedestrian, cyclist, or curb. As a driver, always check prior to making any modification to your current position on the road. Visit Living.ca to see our 360-degree rotatable car mirror. It’ll help keep your vehicle safe getting in and out of parking spaces, as well as in checking your blind spots.
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