Car One was legally at fault for making an unsafe lane change. She claimed she checked her rearview mirror and her outside mirror before starting to turn.

Car Two was alongside the left rear portion of her car, however, where it could not be seen from either mirror.

This area is known as the "blind spot." There are blind spots to the left rear and right rear portions of every car. The only way to make sure there is no car in your blind spot, is to turn your head and glance over your shoulder.

The driver of Car Two contributed to the accident by driving in Car One's blind spot. He could have either pulled forward or dropped back to a position where he could be seen more easily. Or better yet, he could have moved completely away from Car One. Driving alongside another car puts you in danger if the other driver has to change lanes. It also prevents you from making a sudden, but safe, lane change if you need to.

The driver of Car Three contributed to the accident by parking too close to the main road's edge. In fact, he was lucky he was not hit by a passing car that got too close to the shoulder. Each year hundreds of drivers are killed in similar situations. Drivers of disabled cars often do not realize how hard it is for other drivers to see them.

If your car is disabled, you should pull well onto the shoulder, as far from the roadway as possible; if this is not possible, you should place some kind of warning at least 200 feet behind the car. This will give approaching drivers a little more time to react. In the daytime, have someone stand on the shoulder and wave a handkerchief. At night, flares or reflectors are necessary.

Rule Number 1:  Always check your blind spots by looking over your shoulder before changing lanes. Also check your blind spots whenever you enter traffic from a curb or freeway entrance lane.

Rule Number 2:  Stay out of another driver's blind spot. Either speed up or drop back.