See And Be Seen

One of the biggest mistakes made by riders and drivers alike is positioning oneself in another driver's blind spot. When riding in a lane beside a vehicle, I make it a habit to stay back behind the rear bumper, giving myself some reaction time should the driver change lanes suddenly.

Only when I can accelerate through the blind spot and position myself right next to the vehicle and be seen do I move and given the opportunity, get out in front far enough to be past their front bumper and into their line of vision, keeping in mind that their side view mirror and pillar can obstruct their vision. At least if they've seen you pass, there's a better chance they know you're there.

Of course, this isn't as easily done when dealing with large trucks such as the one in the photo. Unless you've driven rigs like this, which I have, familiarity with the blind spots isn't common knowledge and there are a lot more of them to contend with too. Plus, it's a longer vehicle and getting through those blind spots isn't as quick as on a smaller car or truck. Of course, I'd like to think that a 'professional driver' is going to be a lot more attentive to what's going on around his or her vehicle, but why take a chance.

Stay out of the blind spot(s) and ride safely!

Remember this photo from a post way back in 2014, with every motorcycle in this photo being in the driver's blind spot