Seat belt lock up almost got me killed today
 

Anyone have an issue trying to peak over your left driver side blind spot to have your seat belt lock up?? Last night I was merging on to a freeway and the ramp merges into a lane quickly. And this freeway is on a hill so you can't see cars coming until you're literally on the lane. So I'm merging and I'm bout to move forward to check my blind spot and the god damn seat belt locks me into my seat. By then it was too late and a mercedes comes out of nowhere honking like a mad man and I'm forced to swerve offroad almost launching off a small cliff into a ravine. Thank god any other drivers or I weren't injured but wtf. Is that normal for a seat belt to lock up for no reason?

Move too fast or sharply and they lock up. Pretty common on any modern car and this is exactly what they need to do to protect you.
When leaning forward try to do it in a smooth manner without jerking the belt and all should be fine..

This car's side mirrors, if adjusted properly, should not require you to turn to see blind spots to the point where the seatbelt lockup comes into play.

But your belts will lock up if you are 1) at a steep angle, or 2) you move the belt too quickly (akin to a crash). This can be for ANY car you drive, not just this one.

-alex

Shit you're right. Just tested this. Thanks guys this info can save lives!

I've heard this posted at least once about every car I've ever owned or driven. The fact of the matter is you should still be checking your blind spots regardless of how properly you've adjusted the mirrors; furthermore, now that more people are on motorcycles, you should always be looking twice. He probably just moved way to suddenly causing the seat belt to lock up which is another matter as you've stated.

He was merging onto an interstate, where the ramp is usually at a distance from the travel lane until you're right alongside it. That means cars in the travel lane are in the giant blind spot that exists no matter how you adjust your mirrors.

http://i315.photobucket.com/albums/l...BlindSpot2.jpg

OP, don't jerk when you look into the giant blind spot that exists no matter how you adjust your mirrors. Just do it smoothly and the belt won't lock up.

Look twice, save a life. I know too many people that have been killed on motorcycles because of people in cars being too lazy to really check their surroundings before pulling out or making lane changes.

You mean I can't recklessly cut across 2 lanes of traffic without looking over my shoulder first? Damnit! Just suck the fun out of driving why don't you...

That's OK, ...... if you're texting or talking on your cell phone ..... cause you then have an excuse .....:D


humfrz

I'm just trying to figure out why I need a clear view of a car that is two lanes away from me with another car in between acting as a buffer. Also wondering how looking over my shoulder will give me xray vision to see through said car. I guess I'm supposed to look through it's windows to plan my next 3 moves in advance?

Well, my take on driving these days, is sort of like playing a game ...... with one player looking at his/her smart phone, texting; another player talking on a cell phone; another player is drunk/on drugs; another one is old and gets the gas & brake mixed up; yet another is young and bullet proof and the last one is asleep ..... and there you are ..... in the middle of them all ...... your move ..... :confused0068:


humfrz

While I would normally agree, most interstates in CA aren't designed this way.

One exception may be the 110 north of the I-5, which isn't technically an interstate:

https://youtu.be/5p9RE1hBKO8?t=8m

Even the 110 (onramps are essentially a stop sign + a drag race up to 55MPH) isn't THAT bad for purposes of blind spot discussions.

Very curious to what section of road OP was on...

-alex

The diagram is to show what you can see and what you can't, not to assume that there's always a car conveniently located in the next lane to keep you from moving over. If you take the diagram in the context of this thread, it might make more sense.

There are three situations in which this comes into play for me:

When I'm in the right lane on a three-lane freeway and want to take the center lane. Sometimes there will be someone pacing me in the far left lane in the blind spot. If that person tries to take the center lane at the same time I do, a collision could result.

When I'm on an entrance ramp, attempting to merge into traffic. Because the ramp doesn't begin right next to the travel lane, someone in the travel lane could be in the blind spot and suddenly appear in my properly-adjusted mirrors when I'm right alongside him. At that point my options are more limited than if I had seen him before reaching that point in the acceleration lane.

When I'm in the far left travel lane and someone is approaching in an entrance ramp from the left. We have those here, and people tend to just blow right out into traffic without looking. It's bad enough to have them suddenly appear out of the blind spot into my properly-adjusted mirrors, but it's worse when they just blast into my lane with no regard for life or property.

All of these situations require looking over the shoulder rather than relying on properly-adjusted mirrors that still leave a huge fucking cone of blindness out the driver's side of the vehicle. Does that explanation work for you?

But there is STILL a blind spot in this car, even with properly-adjusted mirrors, that in many circumstances requires looking over the left shoulder to ensure that the way is clear. The better habit is to always look, so that you don't bang into someone the one time you're wrong about whether the mirrors alone were sufficient.

Are you fat? (lol joke. I am) It does it to me if it clicks all the way when buckling up...

Make sure its not stuck on door too. Get a boob/chest cushion, it'll give you little bit of play.

For those unaccustomed to it, we SoCal people put "the" in front of our highway/freeway numbers. . .

I guess, I'm just kind of surprised anyone needs a diagram to let them know they shouldn't rely on their side mirror to view traffic that's diagonally backwards and two lanes to the side. Seems like kind of a given.

You can see the lane right next to you just fine, and that's all the side mirror is for.

I also think it's a little funny that the blind and visible cones overlap each other to create a paradoxical blind/visible triangle :)

Edit: After re-reading and paying close attention to context, the post you responded to said "This car's side mirrors, if adjusted properly, should not require you to turn to see blind spots to the point where the seatbelt lockup comes into play."

Looking at your diagram, I'd agree, you shouldn't need to turn your shoulders to view that blind spot, just your head.

I did pick up on the whole merging onto highway at a distance from travel lane part, which would potentially put the cars he's merging with in that blind spot, so I get your point there.

I always look, but the whole thing about moving your entire body is completely unnecessary.

-alex

with properly adjusted side mirrors, a quick GLANCE is all that's needed to double check that nobody is in the "blind spot" or someone approaching really quickly. if you have to shift your whole body like batman or an owl just to look to the side of you, you're doing it wrong.

Sounds like your improper use of mirrors almost got someone else killed.

http://www.ft86speedfactory.com/rexp...rrors-852.html

these help a lot.

Bro I've been driving for 8 years and have never had a single accident or minor colision. I use my mirrors but due to my heights and I can't 100 % rely on them. Hence why I always look over my shoulder and check my mirrors.

+1 to the convex mirrors.

.ck

I have >30 years driving experience (not that that matters in this discussion) and I also look over my shoulder when required.
Which is not that often because I have one convex mirror on the driver's side.
Even when I DO look, I never have to turn my entire torso.

Maybe you need to work on neck flexibility.
Or are you this guy:
http://static.i85media.com/dumbphoto...ugemuscles.jpg

Where did you find this pic of me...

sorry for being the young bullet proof one that drunk/ondrugs while sexting confused about what that third pedal is all while punching babies.

I am not sure why some people are trying to convince people that looking over your shoulder properly is bad practice

Not bad practice, just not necessary when you can view the entire blind spot by turning your neck.

I still don't agree. In my eyes its simply something that shouldn't be approached with compromise in mind.

ITT: different opinions with different views, everyone acting like everyone is all the same and should act the same. Might as well become robots

^^^ this. Different folks different strokes... I don't get why I'm getting kinda flamed for how I "check my mirrors." I'm glad after reading this whole thread that I'm not the only one here who looks over their shoulders.

Always have and always will. Mostly habit from truck driving days. In some cars I have to bend forward a bit and in some I can just turn my head so even one person can't really say "this is what you must do all the time". In Ontario (and I believe BC) it is an instant fail to not do a shoulder check during a lane change on your driver's test.

Yep, I forgot to mention the moms that are driving the mini-vans, while tending to their kids in the back seat ...... :drool:


humfrz

You don't have to compromise.

You also don't have to turn your torso so fast to the point where the seatbelt lockup mechanism is engaged.

That's what is being debated here... not one's ability to check blind spots, but rather to do it in a fashion that isn't causing danger to both the driver as well as other cars.

-alex

Except that not everyone can. If you're sitting far enough back, the pillar is in the way, and you have to lean forward a bit to see the entire blind spot.

I have to do that, and I have had the seat belt lock on me. But it wasn't nearly the crisis that OP experienced.

You seem to be under the impression that turning only your head to check your blind spot is wrong, or less safe, its not. Putting your chin to your shoulder and keeping the rest of your body perfectly straight is actually the proper way to check your blind spot. Turning your body or twisting your shoulders can cause you to veer in the direction your are merging. That's why, in drivers ed, your are always taught to check by turning your head. With your mirrors properly adjusted, a simple head turn is all that is needed to see the blind spot, this is true for almost all cars.

The only exception would be if your seat happens to be positioned next to the B pillar and it obstructs your view (super tall people or guys with wangster lean). In that case you should lean forward and turn your head without turning your body. If you have mastered checking your blind spot by turning and looking over your shoulder then good for you keep doing that, but don't act like its safer to do so.

Source: reading through my old driver's ed handbook.