The Blind Spot

The Blind Spot: Truck Visibility and Crash Evidence

The episode centers on a damaged mirror and a turn the driver could not safely complete. Real trucks do have blind spots. The factual question is how the driver and carrier managed visibility and what contributed to the collision.

Blind spots are real; they are not the whole explanation

FMCSA’s truck-driver guidance emphasizes checking blind spots and mirrors. The script’s claim that blind spots do not exist is dramatic exaggeration. Visibility limitations are real, and a crash evaluation should address them accurately.

For a lane movement on an Arizona roadway, A.R.S. 28-729 requires first ascertaining that the movement can be made safely. Whether a particular maneuver met that requirement depends on the positions, movements, timing, and surrounding conditions.

Connect mirror condition to the maneuver

Photographs of the equipment, inspection and repair records, available footage, and witness accounts may help establish whether the mirror was damaged before the collision and whether that condition affected visibility. Damage photographed afterward is not automatically proof of a pre-existing defect.

For vehicles and operations covered by the federal rule, 49 CFR 396.3 addresses systematic inspection, repair, and maintenance. A paper inspection record and the equipment’s actual condition should be considered together. A recordkeeping issue alone does not establish that a defect caused this crash.

Preserve both the equipment story and the road story

Identify the tractor and trailer, the carrier, available camera views, and the people who saw the maneuver. Save photographs already taken without moving into traffic or approaching damaged equipment. Keep factual observations distinct from conclusions about what someone could see.

Questions this episode raises

Does being in a blind spot automatically make a person at fault?

No. The conduct of everyone involved and the evidence of how the collision occurred still need to be evaluated.

Does a passed inspection settle the maintenance question?

No. The timing, content, and reliability of the record must be compared with the equipment and other evidence.