Title is pretty much it, new-ish car has a blind spot monitoring system. Got told by a friend that his wife got booked by the police for $400 for not turning her head over the shoulder when changing lanes, she had relied on her cars blind spot monitoring sensor.
I’ve done some googling, but I can’t seem to find anything I can rely on.
What are the laws that surround this and can you get fined for using your cars blindspot monitoring system instead of turning your head over the shoulder?
Blind Spot Monitoring Sensor, Do I Still Need to Turn My Head?
got booked by the police for $400 for not turning her head over the shoulder when changing lanes, she had relied on her cars blind spot monitoring sensor.
Wow, just wow.
Why doesn't the "modern" technology warn you of police observing you not lane checking and make your car invisible like 007's in Die Another Day?
DisabledUser276832
Looks like OP has the 007 ejector seat.
Yeah, like the one that didn't work well in Top Gun.
Well, the ejector worked, but the roof didn't.
blows ya mind eh.. I cant believe someone is honestly asking this question.
If someone can show me a law making a shoulder/head check a legal requirement I'd be surprised. most of the the utes I drive have basically zero extra vision by doing a head check.
This is why my insurance rates keep rising
You can lay this off against investing in a crash repair company like AMA Group.*
*(not financial advice).
Just beep your horn, people should get out of the way. Cheers!
Next topic by OP: Cars now have Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and radar to cruise control. Do I still need the break pedal?
What is op breaking?
His pedal.
You're braking me up!
Please stay off the road, OP.
Electronics are susceptible to failure. Would you accept it as an excuse if someone hit you?
Electronics are susceptible to failure
Driver aids are also susceptible to idiots. I've had people move into my lane when the blind spot warning light in their mirror was clearly visible.
Why wouldn't you? Like seriously?
Lazziness, or so called now adays being expert or used to
Those are most reasons why some people would not bother to see those blind spots
Driverless cars can't come soon enough!
In this case we should hope for a carless driver…
The blind spot monitors in my car only work about 90% of the time. I still turn my head.
Title is pretty much it, new-ish car has a blind spot monitoring system. Got told by a friend that his wife got booked by the police for $400 for not turning her head over the shoulder when changing lanes, she had relied on her cars blind spot monitoring sensor.
I’ve done some googling, but I can’t seem to find anything I can rely on.
What are the laws that surround this and can you get fined for using your cars blindspot monitoring system instead of turning your head over the shoulder?
While changing lanes without looking over your shoulder itself may not be illegal, you have the legal responsibility to drive safely. As the operator of the vehicle, regardless of the safety features in your vehicle, you are still legally responsible. Automated driving is not yet legal in Australia so all vehicles on the road require a licensed operator.
Take a relatively common occurance. You are on a dual carrage road, changing lanes from the left lane. Your blindspot monitoring system says it's clear, but there is a significant speed difference between you and a vehicle in the right lane. You didn't look and unsafely changed lanes and can cause a serious accident that can not only damage/injure, it if worst case occurs it can can potentially kill. You find yourself on the wrong side of a manslaughter charge or worse, become the victim. The technology is designed to help detect objects in a blind spot. Detecting safety in a wide range of driving conditions is beyond both it's ability and scope.
Some iterations of these technologies don't perform well in particular environmental conditions. Rain, snow and even extreme heat can cause issues.
These and other reasons are why you are legally required to maintain safe operation of the vehicle.
This is an example of the problem when people don't undertstand the use case of a technology, rely upon it incorrectly and put other people at risk due to their ignorance.
This is the image I had in my head on first reading the post.
Reading OP replies hurts my head.
Basically OP trying to convince himself/herself it is not against the law because no results from googling.
The friend's ticket would include the offence code on the fine schedule. Researching that will confirm OP is wrong.
But, need, confirmation, bias. Just one person agreeing with OP will do.
That’s how it goes here on OzConfirmationBias.
This post is text book.
This is hilariously sad :(
DisabledUser276832
They have probably created another account to post under.
Hahaha… called it. :D
Sanitisation and Self Cancel.
Cannot allow failure, it infers weakness.
Is this considered unconscious bias?
You forgot the "Rrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"
Help! I got a fine for failing to maintain enough distance when I crashed. I was using cruise control.
OP can you be my lawyer?
Adaptive cruise control? I hope adaptive maintains a correct distance.
I hope adaptive maintains a correct distance.
That doesn't mean you can blame it if it doesn't. Keep your eyes on the road.
Naturally.
Without Chevrons on the road I trust the adaptive for hours on the road. Seems to be more distance than the average schmoe leaves.
No fixed distance is actually given anyway. I suppose in deme's case - if they crashed, then I guess it goes without saying that they didn't leave sufficient distance in order to be able to avoid a crash.
"I hope"
They didn't cover that one on any of my defensive driver courses :-p
After 30 years of driving, it is just instinct to turn your head, even with blind spot monitoring.
And, on a few occasions, i have noticed the mirror not lighting up when someone was actually there.
Why no one suggests to adjust a mirror properly, so you can see a car from all mirrors and eliminate blind spot.
A mirror (at least factory ones) can only give driver a certain field of view and cannot eliminate blind spot. Their adjustment can only minise blind spots.
To eliminate blind spot, you need either extra mirrors (non factory) or have large factory mirrors (like the ones in buses or large trucks)
Tested it with my car and proper mirror adjustments gave me no blindspots. I think most drivers out there have there mirrors adjusted incorrectly.
Not always possible on some modern cars, especially around ~2009 when millennials started building them to look like 1970's postulated space pods rather than the boomers' preference for 1960's slot cars designs bearing tail-planes to help with that extra 0.3% advantage once you hit 320KPH…
I'd just bloody use the blind spot mirror's (COST like $7 at max from eBay). Never ever needed to turn my head over to shoulder (EXCEPT WHEN ITS RAINING OR TOO FOOGY GLASS to see outside. Only ever looked at side view mirrors. (on side view mirror and Blind spot mirrors). This replicates turning your head, and will always gives you clear vision as if you had turned your head.
There's two types of blind spot mirrors - ones that go on side view mirrors (Cheapo ones) n- They are generally good overall, #1 for help in parking car especially reversing and okay for changing lanes.
and (Expensive ones) that go on suction at car's glass in front of driver (windshield glass) - these ones are generally much better in giving view for changing lanes than side view ones, and not really good for parking help) . Although you can replicate it by sticking the Cheapo ones at center rear view mirror.
Can you please give a link for the expensive ones?
Something like this
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/334093813020 (slightly expensive)
This is perfect Blind spot mirror (even though its intended for baby watching but works way better than the ones like
I have blind spot sensors but still turn my head purely because on several (albeit rare) occasions I've found a vehicle there that I didn't realise was there. Especially on multi lane roads if a car sneaks in quickly from behind or another lane then they may be in th process of entering your blind spot space but the sensor light hasn't lit up yet.
Tell us the full story
op’s account is disabled 💭
But yeah there is definitely more to that story.
I don't, for the simple reason that I've twice been involved in an accident when the d***head driving the car two infront of me slammed their brakes on with no notice to make a turn which in turn resulted in the car infront of me doing the same only for me to not be able to react quickly enough because I had my head turned checking my blind spot. As a result I don't do that anymore, I just use my mirrors.
So after two accidents caused by you following too close… you now follow too close AND don't check your blind spot… :/
Nope, in neither scenario was I following too closely. I had my head turned checking my blind spot and in both cases instances the car two ahead of me slammed their brakes on to turn without any notice causing the car infront of me to do the same. Once I've heard the tyres screeching I've quickly looked infront of me but couldn't react fast enough to avoid a collision.
What you just described is literally what 'following too close' means.
@Morphio25: Agree with @trapper - been doing headchecks all my life in the car and motorcycle and when the person in front emergency brakes I've had enough time to turn my head back and come back to a stop. A turn of the head shouldn't take long - you're just checking 'if something is there' - you can flick you head back forwards and process what you saw in your short term memory too.
The 3 second rule is taught in learner manuals, and even some off-the-record comments from instructors say:
"Don't go below 2 if you're REALLY impatient".
People have forgotten what 2-3 seconds distance looks like… and it's there to protect you when 'someone makes a mistake' which isn't often.
Yes I get honked at from impatient arseholes who don't understand fluid dynamics well enough: You'll never be faster than the person in front of you - so a 0.2 second gap makes piss-all (well 2.8s) difference than a 3 second gap. Yeah people will merge in front of you, but that is an ego thing: "It's OK to have grandma overtake you even tho you're on a bike that can go 0-100km/h in 3 secs. No one will think less of you"
Passing a yellow light because of a 0.2 second gap is statistically no different from a 3 second gap (it's statistically RANDOM). You just feel you achieved something by tailgating past a yellow light - I pass yellow lights all the time with a 3 second gap as often as I did when I was tailgating in my most obnoxious "green-P" phase
Damn, just as the story got more intriguing, OP disabled their account.
/throws away popcorn bowl.
Well may be some people here harass others more than they advice
Which posts in particular were of a harrassing nature?
Not everyone feels the same way, anyway I aint the OP, nor i am in their shoes. Who knows may be OP is going through a really tough time, never good to judge others
My car doesn't have it, but my mums one does, and I just find it annoying having that light flash etc.
All the advancements with tech in cars to me is so useless, sure it makes things convenient, but people went for decades driving cars without a ton of this shit in it.
People also went decades without seatbelts, power steering and air conditioning in their cars. These new additions only help people and make their driving experiences better, don't understand the hate.
I honestly believe the blind spot monitoring will save a few motorcyclists (as a rider myself).
But that's all it is - an 'aid' to reduce risk. It's not a complete replacement!
Human reliability - 99%, blind spot monitoring reliability - 90% -> becomes 99.9% reliability if both are used together:
(1% chance of error) * (10% chance of error) = (0.1% chance of error)
In modern cars its not just a light anymore. My Skoda will provide steering resistance if the light is on so you know via tactile feel if there is someone in the vicinity. Having said that, Ive had a couple of instances where the blind spot sensor has spazzed out due to dust/dirt particles and actually turned itself off. Head checks are still required.
I usually drive sitting sideways, so I’m in a constant head check motion
No, just blindly trust technology, what could possibly go wrong?
Finally! 100%
I was going to say to OP that you should definitely head check but their actual question seems to be whether you can get a fine for not head checking when changing lanes. Seems a bit extreme to me to get a $400 fine for not physically head checking … after all there's probably some % of people who only use the small blind spot mirrors that attach to your mirror to check blindspot and don't physically check or they crane over and use their rear and side mirror or in OP's case use the digital blind spot monitor . I'm not saying I recommend it (e.g. if there's any type of speed difference then the car in the other lane will only be in your blind spot for a fraction of a second as it zooms past - i.e you can be misled into thinking it's clear - which is why you should always head check as well) but I'm certain it does happen even with older technology (like the glue on baby blind spot mirrors). So no idea why OP got singled out with a $400 fine for not doing a physical check.
There is no fine relating to head movement. The fine is for an unsafe lane change.
That makes more sense. Perhaps OP cut someone off dangerously and was fined for that. No physical head check was probably a contributing factor.
Yes.
Cops were probably not impressed when she told them she didn't see any need to look over her shoulder, after almost causing an accident.
What’s worse, fake head check or BSM?
If nothing else, be selfish and protect your own life…
As for fines, don’t worry about that. Most people can’t be arsed indicating (or do it as an afterthought), and nothing is done about that.
<Ahem!> This is a fine that was issued.
One should worry about that….
Shoulder checks everywhere everytime, regardless please.
If you are seriously asking this question here, do us all a favour… hand your licence in, sell the vehicle and buy a bus pass.
As a Motorbike rider I often come across new cars with avoidance lights in their mirrors, they don't work unless your parallel to the vehicle, so a motorbike coming up to a car will not be seen unless you do a head check, all car drivers should be doing a head check, don't rely on aids or mirrors and don't be lazy, swing that head!
Honestly I found they detected me on a bike about as often as most drivers did anyway… perhaps more often.
A scary number of people don't make any effort to check at all, even without any of these aids!
Legal or not, you should just do it. The various safety features are added protection and aren't 100% accurate all the time. You should still drive the car as if none of that safety equipment is there.
The design of the blind spot monitoring led light is the same as your seat belt warning light - always buckle up your seat belt, always do a headcheck.
You must be an idiot to think otherwise.
Even if there is a blind spot assist built in the car, you should always double check by turning your head.
Since humans are habitual creatures, it will become a habit of not looking over you shoulder.
This will become an issue if you happen to sit in a car without this assist and not turn your head to check.
Of course you do.
You are not meant to just rely on cars sensors like this or reversing sensors etc… they are to help you, you still have to look.
And your friend got fined so that proves you have to.
This is why I have comprehensive insurance on my cars…
You are kidding… right? This is a joke post… right?
If you are serious, look, this is nothing against you, per se, but you need to seek medical help. I mean that in a helpful way. Please seek medical help.
And please stay off our roads!
always need to shoulder check
sometimes even need to jerk your head forward to see if there's cars behind you on the left
I'm absolutely gobsmacked to read that somebody would rely solely on a "blind spot monitoring sensor" when changing lanes. Is this somebody who came from overseas and was able to simply transfer their license? Putting common sense aside (which obviously isn't as common as it once was), I would think that anybody who had undergone both written and practical driving tests (in NSW at least) would be aware that a head check is an absolute must!
If you have to ask such a question you shouldn’t hold a driving licence. It’s part of the driving test and failure to do it is test failure. Aids are just that, aids. Think motor bike, think bike …. The Highway Code requires you to look - it’s law
What a terrible question to ask. Please think about driving more seriously.
You shouldn't even just rely on mirrors. You absolutely have to do a head-check to check the space fully next to you before moving into it.
Once you're sure it's safe, don't forget to signal your intention to change lanes for 2 to 3 seconds before actually starting to move. Signalling intention is something the majority of people on the road quickly forget in everyday driving.
Seriously, the human race is doomed.
OP's account has been disabled. Is this a permanent thing, or does he/she get a second go things?
Curious as to how the OzBargain system works. Does it automatically cut people off once they receive a bazillion negs in a short time frame, or does a Mod pull the plug on them?
OP makes a fake account
Post ridiculous threads that get people outraged
The thread makes it to the front page
OP calls it a win and gets back to his school holidays
The checking over the shoulder routine literally saved me this morning….
A car in the outside lane must have going quite fast as I was about to move over into this lane after not seeing anything in my rear view mirror. As I turned my head to check over my shoulder I saw it at the last minute - level with my rear passenger door - just as the BSM sensor light kicked in.
If I had relied solely on the BSM I would have had an accident.
Being aware of what's around you is essential anytime you take control of an automated vehicle.
If your side mirrors are adjusted properly outwards and not folded in so that it sees the same thing as the rear view mirror.. you don't need to do a head check regardless of BSM
'his wife got booked by the police for $400 for not turning her head over the shoulder when changing lanes'
I'm guessing this is not the whole story - more likely she changed lanes badly by misjudging her distance in front and the police saw her nearly cause an accident, and she's now retelling the story to suit herself
as for blind spots, most people don't do this, but what I've always done for donkeys is this -
park somewhere on a quiet road where you can see different landmarks/posts at least 5-10m behind/beside your car
start by adjusting your central rear vision mirror view to centre on the lane behind you (NO not for your makeup ladies - danger !) - allowing for any dip/dazzle flip switch (my old car has such)
then adjust your driver's door mirror so that its left-hand edge of view just slightly overlaps the centre mirror's right-hand edge of view
similarly, adjust the passenger's door mirror - so its right-hand edge of view just slightly overlaps the centre mirror's left-hand edge of view
this should give you the widest continuous field of view with all 3 mirrors - allowing you to see vehicles behind, either side of you, without a blind spot
if you fail to adjust your mirrors properly cos you only use them for checking your makeup - and then expect your fancy new car to warn you of an impending collision, you're an accident waiting to happen.
Great minds think alike
Or like OP's friend, didn't check what's behind ya!
💯
There is no road rule relating to head turning, and no such offense or fine for not doing so.
Your friends wife got fined for a careless or dangerous lane change - probably because she didn't look properly and it was not safe.
Yea the fact the cop car ended up having to evade her when she spun the helm to starboard hard at 80k's while the cop car was next to her is a possibility…