and i have been driving for 42 years. i look over my shoulder to check my blind spot multiple times a day, every day since i got my drivers license.
i have never rear ended anyone.
Well I been driving 54 years and I rear ended somebody when I turned my head when 16 to look at yellow poka dot bikini on Ft Lauderdale beach.
Point being , those are both anecdotal experiences, means little in the big picture.
so the concept that looking over the shoulder to check your blind spot will make you rear end someone is equally absurd.
Nope, and nobody said it was, my original point, not to repeat myself, anytime taking your eyes off the road in front of you, is less stopping distance you have for the unexpected, PERIOD. And nobody will ever admit post accident that was a contributing factor.
Since one only needs to misjudge one's stopping distance by a mere inch, and a single millesecond by itself for example at 60mph is greatet then that. I suspect most rear end accidents are because of a misjudgment more then a single inch.
in my opinion trying to check your blind spot by looking in the mirrors takes longer and is much more hazardous than just turning your head around to check your blind spot.
You should try to measure your opinion of time, also understanding, it takes a conscious decision first of which way to turn ones head, where to focus you eyes, focus your eyes, interpret the other cars, determine, thier positions, their relative speeds,,their intentions (are they also turning their heads, make sense of what you see, then decide its sufficient, turn your head back in the direction you are haeded, and refocus. I suspect just moving your eyes, is a factor 10? times faster and at 60 mph that could a lot of distance.
as the link i posted earlier. the Wisconsin, and probably every other state in the USA, DMV DRIVER TRAINING MANUAL RECOMMENDS looking over your shoulder to check your blind spot before changing lanes. it has been that way since i got my drivers license and probably been that way MUCH MUCH longer than that.
Guess they never drove a Class 8 with mirrors.
I have learned something here, I now understand why when I am passing someone in the right lane, behind is faster approaching traffic, and they dangerously dart between between me and the just pasted vehicle on my right, because I kinda frown on cutting off the right lane vehicles because some a hole likely is in a hurry and tailgating, and never sees me turn my head right, to see if I clear to merge back right, because I am too stupid to trust my mirror?. I use my turn signals, but you have to wait for them for the proper distance to move over. .Oh well.
