How do you handle the blind-spot gap when changing lanes?

[IsabellaIR]

I was merging onto the highway yesterday and my mirror was clear, but when I started to change lanes I suddenly had a car right in my blind spot. I always do the over-the-shoulder check, but it feels like there’s a moment right between checking and actually moving where someone can slip in. How do you all handle that gap?

[Ella33]

That moment is brutal. I do the shoulder check and then wait just a beat before merging, and somehow there’s always a car there. I’ve tried rushing it and I’ve tried waiting a touch longer, and that gap still feels like luck more than anything.

[Anthony_B]

I fiddled with the mirrors a bit—tilted the side mirror to catch more of the lane edge—and added a tiny extra glance as I start to move. It helps me feel a little less blindsided, even if it isn’t perfect.

[Gregory.T]

Could the problem be the other drivers more than your timing? Sometimes it seems like someone slips in regardless of signals or how clean your gap looks.

[EvelynJR]

One time I got a real scare and then pulled over to watch from the curb for a minute, just to see how cars sit in the lanes and when they actually commit. It didn’t fix my lane changes, but it made me question whether I’m chasing the right cause here.