Every vehicle has blind spots, but not every driver acknowledges the deadly consequences of ignoring them. These invisible zones around your car become dangerous traps where motorcycles, pedestrians, and other vehicles disappear from view. When drivers fail to compensate for these visual limitations through proper mirror checks and head turns, catastrophic blind spot car accidents can occur.
Where Are a Vehicle’s Blind Spots Located?
Every car has several blind spots where your mirrors and peripheral vision cannot detect other vehicles, motorcycles, or pedestrians. These areas are located directly behind your vehicle, on both sides of your vehicle, and directly in front of your vehicle. Larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs have more extensive blind spots, including areas directly in front of the hood and much larger zones on both sides that can conceal entire passenger vehicles.
Common Scenarios for Blind Spot Accidents
There are many ways that blind spot accidents can happen, but some scenarios are more common than others.
Lane Changes
A driver checks their rearview and side mirrors before changing lanes but fails to scan their blind spot. As they begin to merge, they collide with a motorcycle or smaller vehicle that was traveling undetected beside their car. The impact often sends the victim into adjacent traffic lanes or causes them to lose control entirely.
Turns at Intersections
When making a right turn at an intersection, the structural posts of a vehicle’s frame can completely block a driver’s view of pedestrians or cyclists approaching from the side. The driver believes the crosswalk is clear based on their limited perspective and proceeds with the turn, striking a pedestrian who was hidden from view.
Parking Lot Accidents
While backing out of a parking space, drivers often rely exclusively on their rearview mirrors and backup cameras without checking the rear corner blind spots where approaching vehicles disappear from view. A car entering the parking aisle or a child walking behind parked vehicles becomes completely invisible in these zones. The backing vehicle strikes the hidden person or car, leading to serious injuries.
How to Avoid Blind Spot Car Accidents in Kansas City
The best defense against blind spot accidents is developing good driving habits. Newer cars often come with blind spot monitoring systems, but these electronic aids should not replace visual checks.
Keep these best practices in mind to avoid blind spot accidents:
- Turn your head to look over your shoulder before every lane change
- Signal early and give other drivers time to react
- Stay alert to motorcycles and bikes, which can disappear easily in blind spots
- Be extra cautious in heavy traffic or construction zones
- Never assume other drivers see you and anticipate their blind spot limitations
Even when you drive carefully, accidents happen because other drivers don’t check their blind spots properly. If another driver hits you because they failed to look before changing lanes or turning, you should not have to pay for their mistake. You may be able to recover compensation through the other driver’s insurance or by filing a personal injury lawsuit with an experienced injury attorney in Kansas City, as long as you can prove they were negligent in checking their surroundings.
Discuss Your Options with Dollar, Burns, Becker, and Hershewe
If you were struck by a vehicle whose driver failed to check their mirrors or signal properly, you deserve justice for the harm you suffered. A Kansas City car accident lawyer at Dollar, Burns, Becker, and Hershewe can guide you on the journey to fair compensation, defending your rights and proving the driver’s negligence. Contact us today at (816) 876-2600 and start building your case.