Carl F. Thelin

   DON'T BE LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER

   

        One of the training instructors who I met at a recent program for older drivers told me that the AAA Driver Improvement Program recommends that older drivers be especially careful when changing lanes of the expressway or merging into one. On page 10 of the training manual it suggest that “… to be sure, one should Glance over your left or right to check ‘blind spots’ – the roadway around your car not visible in either mirror.”

            He also explained how one should adjust the angle of the outside mirrors so that there would be no blind spot. Don’t do it while seated erect behind the wheel. Lean over until your head touches the left window and turn the mirror so you can just see your rear fender. Now, lean to the center of the car, and adjust the passenger side mirror to see the rear fender. It is wise to purchase and use a small semi spherical mirror on the driver’s side mirror. It is not necessary to do that for the passenger side because the laws require that all those mirrors be semi-spherical.

            The safety manual also warns that it is difficult to see behind your vehicle while backing. That is critical to drivers in a large SUV or van. So far, I agree with all that.

            Now there is bad advice.

            The book says to “Look through the rear window while backing in a straight line or to the right. Place your right arm on the back of the seat and turn around. Keep your head turned to the right and look backwards until you stop.” The drawing in the book shows a woman turned with her right arm and elbow draped across the seat back.

            I have investigated many incidents where the driver claimed that his car sudden ran away, and he could not stop it. What most crash investigators have found is that the driver who backs up by squirming his torso sharply to his right will often pull his feet to the right of their usual places. Then he will press the accelerator pedal thinking it to be the brake pedal. Depending whether he shifted back into Drive or not, the car will accelerate even if he keeps pushing harder on the “brake” pedal.

            That is another good reason to adjust all three mirrors and use them properly. There are high-tech solutions coming on line, now. Two features appearing on large vehicles will help prevent backing over a child or his toys. Several vehicles offer a radar-like back up alarm that sounds a buzzer when some object is close behind. Another more-expensive system, mostly available on a tall SUV or van, uses a rear–view camera that puts a read-view display on the navigation system’s map-in-the-dash. This is automatic only when the vehicle is in reverse. This is also a great feature for big Recreational Vehicle (RV) motor homes.

            Another hazard is one I have seen more often with small women drivers. It occurs when she has her left hand on the steering wheel and twists her body to place her right arm on the seatback as she is backing up. Unconsciously she leans right and turns the steering wheel clockwise a bit – or more than a bit! In close quarters that is not good.