Which of the following statements about blind spots is FALSE?
- There are blind spots to the left rear and right rear of a vehicle.
- Don't drive in another vehicle's blind spot.
- The best way to compensate for blind spots is to turn and glance over your shoulder.
- Larger vehicles have smaller blind spots. ✓
Answer: D. Larger vehicles have smaller blind spots.
The false statement is that larger vehicles have smaller blind spots; the handbook says big vehicles have big blind areas on each side.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says big vehicles have big blind areas on each side. It warns that tailgating a large vehicle blocks your view and leaves you where its driver may not see you. It notes that failing to see the driver's face in a side mirror usually means that driver cannot see you either. So the statement that larger vehicles have smaller blind spots is the reverse of what the handbook says.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. There are blind spots to the left rear and right rear of a vehicle. — This statement is true: the handbook warns that large vehicles have big blind areas on both sides, so a rider must treat those zones as places where the driver may not see them.
- B. Don't drive in another vehicle's blind spot. — This is true because the handbook tells riders not to ride in another driver's blind spot and to drop back or pass instead.
- C. The best way to compensate for blind spots is to turn and glance over your shoulder. — This is true in the handbook's guidance: it tells riders to check mirrors and look over their shoulder when entering a freeway, so a shoulder glance is part of covering blind spots.
Remember it
Big vehicle, big blind area: never assume a tall truck can see you.