Do Not Stay In A Lorry's Blind Spot!

A video of a red Proton Saga has gone viral after it was dragged by a lorry for quite a distance after being in its blind spot.

There have been many examples in the past plus countless public service announcements regarding the blind spot of large vehicles on the road, but time and time again, cases like this keep on happening. Luckily for the Proton Saga occupants, they live to tell the tale.

*Image credit: DashCam Owners Malaysia

Where are the lorry's blind spots?

A lorry, tanker, and even the cement mixer in the viral video all have a number of blind spots where they can't tell if there's a smaller car or motorcycle within those areas. In this particular case, the blind spot in question is right beside the driver both on the left and right.

There's one more at the front due to the driver's high vantage point (and not being able to see just pass its front bonnet) and more obviously right behind the lorry. It's vital for anyone driving, riding, or even standing around large vehicles to be aware of these blind spots, because if you're not, things can end up just like this Proton Saga, or even worse.

*Image credit: Haulio.io

How to 'navigate' through the blind spots safely?

First and foremost, learn and understand where the blind spots are. The easiest way to tell that is if you can see the driver and the driver can see you, you're good to go. If you're in a position where you're not able to see the driver directly or via its side mirrors, then you're most likely in its blind spot.

It's also imperative for drivers and riders to not move drastically into the lorry's blind spots and risk getting taken out by surprise. Make sure to give ample space when driving in front of the lorry, avoid tailgating, and don't linger too long in its blind spots when overtaking.

In the case of this Proton Saga, some space should have been given to the lorry while turning into the lane, and it would've been much safer to let the lorry go first. You might lose a few seconds, but the more important thing is that your car and its occupants would be safe.