What should you do when you have a blind spot?

• A. Sound the horn repeatedly
• B. Have your partner walk around and identify the blind spots
• C. Stop and back up to check
• D. Ignore it if you have good mirrors

Answer: (B)

Blind spots around a large emergency vehicle require a check beyond what mirrors show. The best approach is to have a partner walk around the vehicle to identify any people or obstacles in the blind zones before you move. A spotter provides a real, visual check of sides and rear that mirrors can’t guarantee, and they can communicate clearly when it’s safe to proceed or when you need to stop. This coordination dramatically reduces the risk of hitting someone or something that isn’t visible in the mirrors.

Sounding the horn doesn’t give you visibility and isn’t a substitute for a physical check. Stopping and backing up to check can still miss hazards behind or to the sides, and ignoring blind spots because you have good mirrors is unsafe—mirrors don’t reveal everything. In practice, move only when the spotter confirms the area is clear and use agreed signals to communicate.