Changing lanes when driving is the cause of many incidents, especially when travelling at high speeds. Even after checking your internal and external mirrors, it is still possible to miss a vehicle in your blind spot.

Blind spot detection is a type of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), which typically operates via sensors located on a vehicle’s wing mirrors and bumpers. These sensors can detect if an obstruction such as a person or vehicle enters your blind spot, and will create a warning, such as flashing lights, steering wheel haptics or an audio alert.

In some vehicles, the warning will become louder and/or more obvious the closer the vehicle moves towards the obstruction. If the driver attempts a dangerous manoeuvre, some vehicles use automatic emergency steering and can even apply the brakes when needed, which is known as blind spot assist.