A Van's Blind Spot: Where It Is and How to Watch It

Where a van has blind spots

A van's blind spot isn't one place but several zones at once. Compared with a car, there's no view through the rear window, the sides are larger and you sit higher. Before you set off, it's worth knowing where someone can walk around the vehicle without you seeing them.

The whole area behind the vehicle

You can't see anything at all behind a van. The bulkhead or the load makes the rear-view mirror useless, so the area directly behind the rear is blind for several metres. A camera covers it only partially and unreliably in the rain or after dark. This is where most minor damage in car parks happens.

The right-hand side, especially at the back

The most dangerous zone is the strip along the right-hand side from the passenger door backwards. A cyclist or even a whole car can fit in here. In a van, this area is longer than in a car, and you have no way of checking it by turning your head. The only tool is the right-hand mirror and looking in good time.

The left-hand side when turning

A blind zone forms on the left too; people just think about it less. When turning at a junction, a motorcyclist or cyclist overtaking you can fit into it. A longer vehicle also takes longer to enter a junction, so more time passes between checking and driving through than in a car. Before you start turning the wheel into the oncoming lane, look in the left-hand mirror once more.

Pillars and door mirrors

The front pillar can hide a pedestrian on a crossing. In a taller van you sit differently from in a car, so the pillar covers a different slice of the scene from the one you're used to. At junctions and roundabouts, move your head slightly forwards and backwards; this shifts your view around the pillar.

What you block yourself

A load stacked high takes away even what's left of the view the van offers. A box resting against the side window by the passenger door enlarges the blind spot by a section you don't expect. When you're carrying a tall load, leave the space by both front doors clear and, before reversing, always check that nothing is blocking your view in the mirrors.

Walk around the vehicle once from the driver's seat too. Have someone stand at different places around the stationary van one after another and watch when they disappear from both mirrors. A minute of this test will show you the blind spot of the specific vehicle better than any description.

Mirror adjustment solves half the problem

Angle your mirrors out further than you're used to

You see the side of your own van unnecessarily large in the mirror. It's enough to keep a narrow strip of bodywork in it for orientation; the rest of the surface should show the adjacent lane. When you angle the mirror outwards, the zone where a vehicle disappears from the mirror and doesn't yet appear in your peripheral vision gets much shorter.

The wide-angle section does a lot

The smaller wide-angle part of the mirror covers exactly that critical strip along the right-hand side. Get into the habit of looking at it every time you change lanes or turn right. Distances in it look bigger than they are, so anything that looks close in the wide-angle section is actually very close.

Adjust them while seated and before you drive

Adjust the mirrors only after adjusting the seat, not the other way round. In a van you sit higher and more upright, so the position from your own car won't fit. Half a minute when you pick up the vehicle is an investment that pays off at the very first junction.

Situations where van drivers most often encounter the blind spot

Turning right in town. A cyclist riding straight ahead on your right is exactly in the zone you can't see. Before turning, slow down, glance at the wide-angle section and turn your head towards the right-hand window.

Changing lanes on arterial roads. A longer vehicle changes lanes more slowly, so more time passes between the decision and completing the manoeuvre. Indicate earlier, check the mirror a second time just before moving over, and only change one lane at a time.

Entering a roundabout. A vehicle approaching from the left disappears behind the front pillar exactly when you're deciding whether to go. Stop completely, move your head forwards and backwards and look twice. With a longer vehicle you also need a bigger gap, because you join the roundabout more slowly.

Pulling away from the kerb after unloading. A cyclist or pedestrian you didn't see when you stopped can easily slip past a parked van. Before pulling away, wait two seconds and check both mirrors.

Opening doors into the road. This applies to your passenger too, so it's best to warn them in advance. You'll find more practical tips on driving a van on our blog, and the specific dimensions of the vehicles in our fleet.