Safety on the road is of critical importance when especially when it comes to heavy vehicles as these tend to have significant blind spots. Monitoring these blind spots is important to ensure the safety of motorcycles, small vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
The driver can get an increased awareness of the surroundings with these blind spots.
These are generally not visible through side and rear-view mirrors. The driver should have a practice of checking the blind spots regularly using the mirrors, cameras and sensors. Having a better awareness of their surroundings allows the drivers to make informed decisions. You can also prevent collisions with blind spot monitoring. There are areas that are hidden from the view of the driver but with addition of cameras and sensors, they can see what is actually happening in these areas. And they can check the live-feed from the cameras before they make a manoeuvre such as turning, merging, changing the lane etc. But the driver should be trained to look at all this information andactively monitor the blind spots so that any accident can be significantly reduced.
When it comes to heavy vehicles,
There are vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists that are more at risk of a collision. Smaller vehicles are also at more risk because of their size and not having sufficient protection. And monitoring blind spots can do a lot towards the safety of these vulnerable road users. Heavy vehicles tend to have blind spots when it comes to the rear and the sides so the driver will not be able to spot a vulnerable road user that is in close proximity to the vehicle. This is why it is so important to check these blind spots regularly whenever the driver is manoeuvring the vehicle. You can also equip the vehicles with sensors so that drivers are notified with a visual or audible warning when there are people or object close to the vehicle.
There is a legal requirement for monitoring blind spots in many countries.
The traffic laws specify that drivers are required to check the blind spots before they make a turn or change into a different lane. And if the driver doesn’t follow this regulation, they can be fined or penalised. Some can also face suspension of driving privileges. Therefore, complying with these regulations will ensure the safety of the driver as well. Technology has done a lot when it comes to improving the visibility and helping drivers monitor blind spots. These are advanced sensor and camera systems that allow drivers to detect individuals or objects in the blind spot areas. But drivers should be trained to make maximum use of these technologies. And defensive driving should also be taught to heavy vehicle drivers which includes maintaining a safe following distance, being aware of the road user movements in their surroundings and signalling their intention to make a manoeuvre early on so that these road users can also take steps to back away from the vehicle.
