Check your blindspot/use blinkers before you merge?

Feb 19, 2001
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Example: I hate it when someone merges (from 2 lanes over) to the lane next to you and you're clearly going faster. When they first merge, you're a distance away, but since you're going faster, by the time they end up in the lane next to you, you're in their blind. If they continue merging (some people want to merge as far left as they can ASAP), and since you're still at passing speed, they'll smack right into your side, or their rear half will smack your front half.

Well this happens sometimes and it usually results in a honk from my side. I admit I've done it maybe once too where I forget to check my blind (again) before merging the 2nd time. I always check my blind the first merge, but sometimes people don't pay attention to the car 2 lanes over. But I try my best to watch out for those situations because I know it happens.

Well 99% of the time this happens, the guy merging into the lane on my right is usually a more aggressive driver who's not signaling to begin with (and obviously not checking their blind spots). So I HATE it and my alert light turns on anytime someone merges to my right in a hasty fashion w/o blinkers where my car is within striking distance. It's sometimes a scare when they merge right NEXT to you and in your peripheral vision you just see a car get closer and closer (of course it hasn't happened where they slam right into you, but I've witnessed this on the highway once and I had to dodge flying tires and glass when 2 cars slammed into each other merging high speed).

Well this morning I saw the blind spot thing again. Some idiotic lady merges in front of me and I figure at my speed I'll pass her quickly. Instead she continues merging into my lane. I was watching her car to begin with since she looked sloppy, beater car, no signal. I honked but she forced me into the HOV lane.

Now when this happens, 99% of the time, the offender slips back into their own lane. Instead she looks around as I'm waving my hands like "dude watch where you're going" and stays in what was MY lane and essentially MY spot. What a douche. So I had to violate the HOV for a 1/2 mile stretch before I could find an opening to slip back into.

So please, use your blinkers when you merge and please check your blind spots. It helps everyone be more alert and it shows you care about others when you're merging and you're not just blindly going into a lane.
 

MrMatt

Banned
Mar 3, 2009
3,905
7
0
I don't look behind me, I have my side mirror set so that I can see the reflection on the side of my car. No blind spot that way.
 
Feb 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: MrMatt
I don't look behind me, I have my side mirror set so that I can see the reflection on the side of my car. No blind spot that way.

well yes use a blindspot mirror or whatever you please. i put one of those small circular blind spot mirrors on my side mirrors. it works well. i prefer it over the wide angle rear mirrors that really mess up perspective (fisheye view)
 

Crusty

Lifer
Sep 30, 2001
12,684
2
81
Just the other day a friend of mine got side swiped in the exact scenario you describe. 100% other drivers fault in his case.
 

Phoenix86

Lifer
May 21, 2003
14,644
10
81
Thank you for the PSA.

More people need to be reminded of this, sadly. I can tell most people want to change lanes/turn before they even signal (if they do) based other their head movement/driving.
 

BassBomb

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2005
8,390
1
81
Originally posted by: MrMatt
I don't look behind me, I have my side mirror set so that I can see the reflection on the side of my car. No blind spot that way.

Interested to see how that works in winter or rain

I always check my blind spot
I always use my blinkers
I always check my mirrors

If I don't do some of these, I get really nervous/anxious for some reason..

Also those people shouldn't be changing two lanes at once. It is hard to check the guy two lanes over and judge the speed accordingly (especially if you are going alot slower). He should have changed into the middle lane, waited checked again and changed again when you would have been past
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
23,720
1,502
136
Originally posted by: BassBomb
Originally posted by: MrMatt
I don't look behind me, I have my side mirror set so that I can see the reflection on the side of my car. No blind spot that way.

Interested to see how that works in winter or rain

I always check my blind spot
I always use my blinkers
I always check my mirrors

If I don't do some of these, I get really nervous/anxious for some reason..

Also those people shouldn't be changing two lanes at once. It is hard to check the guy two lanes over and judge the speed accordingly (especially if you are going alot slower). He should have changed into the middle lane, waited checked again and changed again when you would have been past

Agree fervently with everything you said.
 
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
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Originally posted by: Crusty
Just the other day a friend of mine got side swiped in the exact scenario you describe. 100% other drivers fault in his case.

Hmm sideswiped is terrible, but what if it's not a perfect sideswipe. If someone merges so their rear half (trunk portion) smacks into your front. Will that be a rear end charge on me? Obviously it's NOT my front bumper hitting him (as that would be a clear cut rear end)
 

Crusty

Lifer
Sep 30, 2001
12,684
2
81
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: Crusty
Just the other day a friend of mine got side swiped in the exact scenario you describe. 100% other drivers fault in his case.

Hmm sideswiped is terrible, but what if it's not a perfect sideswipe. If someone merges so their rear half (trunk portion) smacks into your front. Will that be a rear end charge on me? Obviously it's NOT my front bumper hitting him (as that would be a clear cut rear end)

In that case it's probably shared fault. If there was enough room for the guy to get in front of you there should have been enough room for you to slow down to avoid the collision, but that doesn't mean the person had enough room to safely make a lane change.
 

Whisper

Diamond Member
Feb 25, 2000
5,394
2
81
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: Crusty
Just the other day a friend of mine got side swiped in the exact scenario you describe. 100% other drivers fault in his case.

Hmm sideswiped is terrible, but what if it's not a perfect sideswipe. If someone merges so their rear half (trunk portion) smacks into your front. Will that be a rear end charge on me? Obviously it's NOT my front bumper hitting him (as that would be a clear cut rear end)

In that case it's probably shared fault. If there was enough room for the guy to get in front of you there should have been enough room for you to slow down to avoid the collision, but that doesn't mean the person had enough room to safely make a lane change.

I'm not positive, but I'd agree with this post--it'd likely either be shared fault, or your fault, depending on the situation. Technically, even if the jerk is merging into your lane without a signal and within striking distance of your car, since you have the better view, you should slow down. Although I should also mention that I've been involved in not one, but two separate accidents in which the front of my vehicle was struck, and for neither of which I was cited.

Not that it would piss me off any less in the same situation, mind you. Switching lanes without a blinker at any point is one of my biggest pet peeves. Right up there with making turns while not using a blinker and cruising below the speed limit in the passing lane.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,695
31,041
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Originally posted by: MrMatt
I don't look behind me, I have my side mirror set so that I can see the reflection on the side of my car. No blind spot that way.

*waits for MrMatt to post rant about some driver "not being where they're 'supposed to be!'" when he tries to merge and sideswipes them*

 

fleabag

Banned
Oct 1, 2007
2,450
1
0
well I hate when people are mostly maintaining their speed but soon as you turn on your blinker, they accelerate so what I end up having to do is turn on my blinker and get over into the other lane a split second later instead of turning it on and waiting a little bit.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
this is a situation where you need to use defensive driving... lay off the accelerator if you have to in order to avoid being side by side with them right at that point. Or change lanes if possible... few mergers on 2-lane roads around here, usually they're 3 so if you jump into the left lane, you're good to go.

It's really not worth a "well-I-thought-he-saw-me" insurance situation.
 

CountZero

Golden Member
Jul 10, 2001
1,796
36
86
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: Crusty
Just the other day a friend of mine got side swiped in the exact scenario you describe. 100% other drivers fault in his case.

Hmm sideswiped is terrible, but what if it's not a perfect sideswipe. If someone merges so their rear half (trunk portion) smacks into your front. Will that be a rear end charge on me? Obviously it's NOT my front bumper hitting him (as that would be a clear cut rear end)

In that case it's probably shared fault. If there was enough room for the guy to get in front of you there should have been enough room for you to slow down to avoid the collision, but that doesn't mean the person had enough room to safely make a lane change.

That is absolutely moronic if true. If someone cuts you off and slams on the brakes what possible sane system says the person that got cut off is in any way at fault.
 

AstroManLuca

Lifer
Jun 24, 2004
15,628
5
81
Sometimes the person already on the highway should slow down for the person merging. Depends entirely on the situation though. In some cases there is a big gap behind you and you'll easily pass them well before they merge, and they're going very slowly to top it off. In other cases you should be the one slowing down.

It doesn't help that a lot of people don't signal at all, and most of the ones who do put on their signals after they've already started changing lanes rather than putting on their signal as an indication that they need some room. It also doesn't help that a lot of people who are merging insist on driving like a grandma and are only going 40-45 mph (in 60-70 mph traffic) by the time they try to merge. When they're moving that slowly, no one wants to let them in, and they seem incapable of accelerating to reach a gap ahead of them. Instead they have to either slow down even more (which slows down all traffic) or just merge wherever they happen to be, regardless of whether someone's there or not (which is dangerous).
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
I've been forced out of my lane a few times by large trucks such as dump trucks or cement trucks. I try to avoid driving next to them, but sometimes that is impossible in traffic.
 

marvdmartian

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2002
5,442
27
91
Personally, I use my mirror & blinker, and check the blind spot whenever I change lanes. I also make certain my mirrors are set up to see my blind spot, not right down the side of my car (I figure I can move my head a little to see that, I'd rather see what I need to see, which is the blind spot).

However, most people do not adjust their outside mirrors correctly, which is a big part of the problem. There's also the people that have no idea what a blind spot it, those that forget that the blinker is on their car (did I get that option??), and, my personal favorite here in Texas, those that believe the by flipping on their turn signal, it gives them the right of way to change lanes, even if you're in the way.

Used to love it, too, in California.......watching people come on the freeway on ramp, flip on their left turn signal, lock their eyes in the driver's side outside mirror (totally ignoring anything in front of them), and then drive straight over to the fast (inside) lane of the freeway. God help you if you're in their way! And god help them if traffic stopped in front of them, since they'd rear end someone without ever seeing them! :roll:
 

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
Originally posted by: fleabag
well I hate when people are mostly maintaining their speed but soon as you turn on your blinker, they accelerate so what I end up having to do is turn on my blinker and get over into the other lane a split second later instead of turning it on and waiting a little bit.

Ya, some prick did that to me last month when I was trying to get out of an exit lane on the highway. If he maintained speed, I could have drifted right over with more than enough follow room. No, he accelerates right up to me to block me off. Had to floor it past him, f**ktard.
 

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
857
126
I run into "that guy" all the time but it's usually when *I* am trying to merge with no clue if the other guy wants to merge over once, twice, or at all. That driver who isn't using their blinker also isn't looking or else he would have seen *mine* first. They usually have the nerve to honk at *me.* Ugh.

It's one thing to make a mistake every now and then but, I swear, it seems like this is the norm for other drivers. Now I commute on a motorcycle and I never make that mistake because head-checks are *ALWAYS* needed. I still get 'em pushing into my lane but now I have more maneuverability and can usually save my ass by squeezing through if my previous position is occupied.
 

TraumaRN

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2005
6,893
63
91
I have a blindspot warning system on my car, makes it appear that I randomly change lanes without looking....