What Are the Blind Spots When Reversing a Car?

[ElisaDella]

Blind spots when reversing include: the front of the car, the area close to the side of the car, the part below the rear windshield, and the area on the right rear side of the car. Here are some precautions to take when reversing: 1. Have someone assist you when reversing: The right rear side of the car is a blind spot, which is the farthest area from the driver and sometimes difficult to observe. If someone is available, ask them to help guide you. Remember to roll down the window, or you won't hear them even if they shout. If the space isn't spacious, you don't need to reverse too much—just enough to move forward, as reversing is slightly more challenging and riskier than moving forward. 2. Check the terrain before reversing: When reversing, don't focus solely on the rear of the car, especially when there are vehicles on both sides. Pay attention to whether your car's front bumper might hit the vehicles on either side, and also check for any obstacles around. If there are obstacles on both sides, try to keep the car body close to the left when reversing left and close to the right when reversing right. Additionally, avoid the habit of turning the steering wheel while stationary, as this can easily damage the vehicle.

[DeJesse]

There are indeed many blind spots when reversing, especially the area beneath the rear windshield of a sedan—even a short fire hydrant can be completely hidden. The sides of the rear are another major hazard; the C-pillars can obscure an entire electric scooter. I once nearly scraped a food delivery rider who suddenly darted out. The most dangerous spot is near the rear wheels—curb edges below the mirror height or a child crouching to play with toys are completely invisible in the rearview mirror. It gets even riskier when reversing on a slope, as the raised front end blocks sight of the ground markings. That’s why I now always do three things before reversing: walk around the car to check for obstacles, angle the mirrors downward to see the tires, and inch back slowly with the help of the reversing camera. Once, I saw a neighbor run over a stray cat because they missed that deadly blind spot under the rear bumper.

[ChaseDella]

As a pickup truck owner who frequently works on construction sites, I know all too well about blind spots when reversing. The cargo bed blocks most of the rear window, leaving only the side mirrors to see the road. But mirrors have blind zones—areas within two meters outside the rear wheels are completely invisible. Just last week, I almost ran over a pile of rebar stacked in a corner. Pickups also have another frustrating design flaw—the exhaust pipe height aligns perfectly with a child’s head, and the mirrors can’t spot someone crouching. Reversing in the rain is even riskier, with water droplets covering the mirrors, making it hard to see even a trash can. I once had a close call in my own garage: while reversing, the left rear wheel dipped into a depression, tilting the body, and suddenly the right mirror couldn’t see a low stone pillar—nearly causing a collision. Now, I always ask an assistant to guide me from the rear or install a panoramic camera with trajectory lines. I’ve also added a wide-angle convex mirror on the rear windshield for extra peace of mind.

[MacAaliyah]

Driving an MPV to pick up kids made me truly realize how terrifying blind spots can be when reversing. The high rear window makes crouching children completely disappear from view—last year, an accident like this happened at a kindergarten gate. The D-pillars are like walls; bicycles darting out within five meters on either side give no time to react. Ground blind spots are even deadlier—a half-meter-tall pet dog under the trunk can go unnoticed, and rear radar sometimes fails to detect thin poles. I learned the hard way: reversing on a rainy day, with blurred side mirrors, I didn’t spot a stone pillar diagonally behind and scraped the bumper while turning. Now, I always position kids within sight before reversing and installed a streaming rearview mirror with night vision. My advice: always check three blind zones before reversing—below the rear bumper, around the rear wheels, and behind the pillars on both sides.