I think I'm losing part of my vision. I almost c

[Nazgul Girl]

I feel so bad right now. I was turning left out of the CVS onto our little road, and my husband yelled "Watch out for that guy!"
My car was still in motion, and I almost hit another driver. It was totally my fault. It is a clear, sunny afternoon, and the other driver was driving a silver car. He wasn't speeding whatsoever. This almost-accident is totally my fault. Luckily, the poor man stopped, or I would have plastered him.

I feel so guilty right now, but luckily no one was hurt. The cars were just about 2 ft. from each other. I wasn't speeding either. I had stopped and looked both ways, but still didn't see him.

I'm calling my eye doctor on Monday to make an appointment. This is the second or third time I've had a hard time seeing light-colored cars while they're in motion, but I don't understand why. I've almost turned into them before. I'm a careful driver, but right now, I feel very bad, almost like I'm insane. I don't want to hurt ANYONE.

I did read online now that if someone has had a small stroke, it can screw up part of their vision field. I just had an eye exam last year, and I was fine. They adjusted my prescription for my glasses a little, but I always wear them.

I feel mighty low right now. I always drive, or almost always drive, because DH is supposed to be the one with the vision problems. Evidently not so......

[Great]

are you sure you don't have a blind spot (wide door post) that is also preventing you from seeing the cars?
I have a friend that hit a blind man in a crosswalk, this doesn't seem nearly as bad as what happened to her. (eta, she drives a Navigator and just didn't see the man until it was too late)
Good that you made the eye doc appointment too!

[Nazgul Girl]

It does have pretty wide doorposts. I hadn't considered that possibility. I will still go to the eye doctor. This is a new car to me ( Mazda 3 ), and I've only been driving it for about 2 1/2 months. I don't drive it every day.

[dippitydoo]

It is important to be checked annually by an opthamologist, (not doctor of optometry only, that is only for lense refraction) as there are many insidious, painless eye diseases or events that can cause sudden or gradual blindness. I have a partially detached retina that was repaired years ago. I had a blind spot because of it, but I didn't perceive it until they did a visual field test. The "blind spot" was essentially invisible. Fortunately, it was not in a central area, and I can compensate for it with extra checks before making driving decisions. Good luck to you.

[Deleted]

Your experience doesn't surprise me at all. During the winter months I make an extra effort to look for light colored cars. With the absence of green grass, trees, and even a blue sky, these cars are very difficult to see. Especially when they are coated in salt from the roads and there is snow. White and silver are the worst. I don't know where you are- but that is my experience and I have an eye exam every year. More than one time I have found myself almost broadsiding one of these cars. I would never own a white, silver, or light beige vehicle. Don't feel so bad, but be very careful.

[Nazgul Girl]

I will definitely strain to be more careful, and I will go to see the ophthamologist. I do feel that I have the problem more often with the light colored cars, when I'm trying to turn from a full stop, usually to the left. I appreciate the shared experiences. It gives me hope that I can make things better, or find out what is going on.

[Malarky]

wide doorposts.
This was my first thought. I am short and drive a Saturn Vue. Three people can stand together at a certain point next to my left front quarterpanel and I can't see them at all from the driver's seat. Scares the hell out of me because once, if my windows hadn't been open and I could hear someone yell, I probably would have killed a pedestrian while taking a left turn

[8 Bit WWBG]

I second the blind spot/door posts. I drive a small car and sometimes if another car is moving at just the right speed in just the right spot, it can be invisible for a moment too. Both DF and I have had some close calls that were averted thanks to the other's "WATCH OUT!!!"

[Great]

Nazgul you may also want to look into a good high quality pair of sunglasses that have polarized lenses, they will cut glare. I wear Mauii Jims brand and would recommend them in particular for their polarized glass lenses. The eye doc would also have recommendations as well. Good luck.

[Deleted]

Go to an opthamologist if that is your regular eye doctor. But mine is an optometrist, and she diagnosed and treats my glaucoma. She can write prescriptions (and does) and has incredible equipment for seeing the eyeball, visual fields, and everything else.

My point is simply that the idea that an optometrist can only refract lenses is a myth. My Blue Cross coverage actually covers my treatment for glaucoma. Since my optometrist is married to the Dean of the School of Optometry at UAB, I figure she knows her stuff. She was actually their first female graduate, which I also find cool.

[phil5185]

I knew a truck driver back in the 1960s who swore that white cars should be outlawed - he claimed that they were much harder for him to see in sun, dusk, fog.

I have a Dodge 2001 pickup that has the 'half' rear doors. So the roof is unsuspended for maybe a 6 foot span. To provide rollover protection (and to compensate for the long span) the front door posts are humongous. I now have the habit of continually moving my head back & forth during turns, especially on left turns.

BTW, what do you see in that little eye test that is currently running at the top of the page??

[Tiny]

I'm driving a Sebring Convertible and the left front door post is the bane of my driving experience. Between it and the side view mirrow it creates nearly a pedestrian killing blind spot for me when I'm making a left turn. If they are walking as I'm turning (which is quite possible at Downtown street corners) they stay in my blindspot up until I nearly hit them. I've taken to bobbing my head about left and right when I make left turns.
The right side view mirrow also creates a blind spot but not as bad as the left. I do alot of head bobbing when I make turns.

I also have trouble seeing "pavement" colored or camoflaged cars during the winter. I'm one of the "pavement" colored/camoflaged cars (silver that turns matte gray when covered with salt - which is awful close to the color of the salt covered black top...) so I try to drive alittle more carefully as I assume I might not been seen.

[Deleted]

I drive a small silver car and I've become convinced that my car must be difficult to see when it's cloudy or raining outside. I thought about it because people sometimes drive like I'm not there when the weather is bad. I've never mentioned it to anyone though, because it I thought it sounded kind of crazy, but reading these posts, maybe it's really possible.

Once, an 18 wheeler almost drove straight into the side of my car when it was raining and the only thing I could think of was that he just didn't see me.

[Nazgul Girl]

My husband & I talked about this on the way out to dinner tonight, and we measured the front door pillars between the windshield and the doors. They are 4.5" wide, and padded in white. They are quite wide, and I can see how I almost hit that poor driver. I am not too happy and may start looking for another car. I didn't see the eyesight test at the top because there is now an ad for World of Warcraft running. But I'm still calling the ophthamologist for an appointment on Monday.

[TD2K]

Be worthwhile to have it checked out. I remember the last time I was looking at cars I took out an Acura coupe (don't remember the model number) but it had some wicked blind spots. I eliminated it for that reason.

[moneywhisperer]

I've had my new car for 9 months already & I still struggle with it's blind spots (and parallel parking). I think that more than some scary brain/eye health issue, this has to do with following the YM rule of thumb of driving a car for at least 10 years. I was so used to the old car (I could make it do pirouettes) that I am having trouble adjusting to the new car!! I can't wait to be 'used to' the new car because I really feel like a clumsy driver now :-(

[alabamagal]

Nazgul,

Go to the eye doctor thing. It is always important to get checked out.

It does sound like you have a blind spot in your car. I have Ford Explorer that I have had for 9 years. It has a "front blind spot" when you are turning onto roads. It is not something that you notice, but because of the way you sit in the car, when you glance left, you can totally miss a car. My husband nearly got into an accident several years ago doing the same thing. The road he was turning onto was almost totally deserted, but he just missed seeing the one car that was on the road. He swears the car "just appeared out of nowhere". I drive the truck every day, and have had some similar experiences. Once you are aware, you just have to get used to looking to your right for a bit longer and you will see the cars come out of the blind spot. It probably doesn't help if the cars are small or light colored.

[wvugurl26]

I have a silver Impreza and I swear its invisible. I was hit by an Explorer in June and I've lost count of how many people have almost hit me.

[cheapgenes]

I'm short too, and have had the same problem. It always seems to be in areas where the speed is about 25 mph. I look both ways, and then when I start to pull out, I just catch a glimpse of the car before I almost hit it. So far I haven't hit anyone, but it has happened several times.

[bean29]

I almost hit a White Mini-Van this morining. It totally freaked me out because I looked and did nto see it and looked a second time and all of a sudden there was a car there.

I had heard before that white cars get in more accidents in the winter b/c they are hard to see. I am not happy reading that silver cars are also a problem b/c both DH and DS drive silver cars.

[dianartemis]

Jan 2, 2011 11:21:07 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I have a silver Impreza and I swear its invisible. I was hit by an Explorer in June and I've lost count of how many people have almost hit me.

I have teal impreza and it IS invisible! Luckily, I haven't been hit, but I've had a lot of near misses.

[daisylu]

Jan 2, 2011 11:21:07 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I have a silver Impreza and I swear its invisible.

I drive a silver Saturn, and some days I swear there is a bullseye on it. I am constantly dodging other vehicles. I get a lot of people trying to move into my lane - with my front end next to their driver side door.

[moneywhisperer]

I had a rental that was some sort of Amethyst color - no one could see it. I almost got hit 3 separate times that day (rainy/gray day) & one was a semi that tried to move right on top of me! I took the car back the next morning and asked for a new color!!