Blind Spots in a car
What are blind spots in a car, you ask? It’s simply a specific area or areas, that you can not see when you are sitting in the drivers seat. You can’t see this area in your mirrors or in the corner of your eye(s).
So, something such as another road user could be right beside your vehicle, and you potentially can’t see it at all.
Obviously, this is bad!
The only way to know if something is in your blind spot, is to shoulder check. This is why you may hear a lot about shoulder checks when you are learning how to drive.
Due to blind spots, drivers should shoulder check anytime before they are about to move the vehicle over more than about 1 meter. This is to check for other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists – anything or anyone – who might be in the blind spot.
Blind Spots in a car while driving diagram
Notice that the vehicles directly behind your shoulder – basically – are in your blind spot. You can not see this area by looking in your mirrors, in the corner of your eyes, or with your peripheral vision.
Keep in mind that different vehicles will have different blind spots. You need to get familiar with where they are every time you are driving a different vehicle.

Blind Spots in a car While Driving
Let’s dig deeper. Let’s take the following photo of a driver point-of-view as an example. In the rear-view mirror, not much is happening. We can see a silver car in front, a black truck, a red Porsche, and nothing in the left-side mirror, correct?
Does anyone see the driveway to the underground parking lot?
there could be a car about to turn to their left…

How about now?

Shoulder Check Technique
Generally to do a shoulder check, a driver should peak over the left or right shoulder (whichever direction the vehicle is about to be moved) out the back-side window; although this may vary slightly with different vehicles, such as a convertible with the top up.
Do what you need to do to ensure you can ‘check’ the blind spot area.
Typical situations drivers should shoulder check include
- Before pulling over to the side of the road (You are driving down the road and you want to pull over and stop beside the edge or the curb).
- Before pulling into the road (as pictured above). I.e. you are parked beside the curb and you are about to drive away.
- You need one before lane changing
- Just before merging onto a freeway/highway
- When you’re turning right (sometimes left as well) at intersections Right turns without stop signs.
- When reversing, you need a 360 check, which includes a couple of shoulder checks, before
- For a U-turn, 2-point or 3-point turn 2 Point Turn.
- Just before you go into a turning lane
- Anytime before you will be moving over more than 1 meter.
Does anyone see the dark minivan in this picture?

How about now?

Blind Spots in a car video
Carmen C. is the founder of DrivingInstructorBlog.com After becoming an ICBC-GLP (Graduated Licensing Program) driving instructor at the age of 22, she worked for about 8 years teaching driving lessons in beautiful North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
In 2012 she decided to pour her knowledge into a website and share this information with the world! 🌎 She no longer teaches, but enjoys writing and maintaining this blog, creating abstract art when inspired, and photography.
Hi
Assume you are in the midle lance and driving 70mph and you want to change the lane passing the care in front of you. Do you check over shoulder?
Sometimes when checking to the left, the car drifts slightly to the right as I look away. How do I prevent this?
sorry, i left the comment about blind spots.
with checking blind spots, do you have to turn your body so much that the instructor sees this? bc when i took my test, i failed with the reason that i missed looking in blind spots. i constantly checked my mirrors and had looked in my blind spots while doing lane changes and merging with highway traffic by turning my head and looking over my shoulder but still got marked off as not doing them. my body didn’t turn that much and i wondered if that was part of it. someone suggested i wear a ball call so the instructor can see wear i’m looking or that my head is turning. any suggestions?
um i cant read this
Oh wow! Thanks. I think I fixed it. Please let me know. Thanks a million 🙂