Lane change and blind spots

Home › Courses › Position on public road

Changing lanes safely: checking blind spots, the correct order of checks and the signalling the Belgian code demands.

Coverage, Lane change and blind spots

Lesson objectives

Master the use of the turn signal during any lane change Identify and avoid blind spots to perform lane changes safely Understand the rules of priority during a lane change

The turn signal: absolute obligation

Exact text of article 13 : « Before performing a maneuver or a movement requiring a lateral displacement or causing a change of direction , the driver must indicate his intention sufficiently in advance by means of direction indicator lights when the vehicle is equipped with them or, otherwise, and if possible, by an arm gesture . This indication must cease as soon as the lateral displacement or change of direction is completed. » Three obligations, therefore, and not one: signal before , signal sufficiently in advance , and turn off once the movement is completed. A forgotten turn signal after pulling back in is also an infraction. An exception exists: the movements of the motorcyclist within the part of the roadway he can occupy are not maneuvers and do not require the use of direction indicators (art. 9.3.2).

Mandatory turn signal after overtaking

You overtake a vehicle on the left on an ordinary road. Once the overtaking is complete, you must signal right before pulling back onto your original lane. This obligation applies always , even on the motorway.

Turn signal at motorway entrance

You merge onto the motorway via the acceleration lane. You must turn on the left turn signal before leaving the acceleration lane to join the traffic lane. The turn signal indicates your lane change to other drivers.

The turn signal alone does not give you priority. Activating the turn signal is an obligation, but it does not mean you can merge without checking. You must always yield to users already present on the lane you are heading towards.

Blind spots: the half-turn of the eyes

A blind spot is an area around your vehicle that you cannot see in your mirrors (interior and exterior). Another vehicle may be there without you noticing. To detect blind spots, you must perform a half-turn of the eyes : briefly turn your head towards the back and side to visually verify that no vehicle is in the area you cannot see.

Blind spots: invisible zones around the vehicle

Blind spot

Area around the vehicle invisible in the mirrors. It is generally located at the rear and on the sides of the vehicle. Another user may be there without you seeing it, hence the risk of collision during a lane change.

Half-turn of the eyes

Safety gesture consisting of briefly turning your head towards the back and side to visually verify that no vehicle is in the blind spot before performing a lane change.

Complete lane change procedure

Step 1: Check the mirrors (interior and exterior) Step 2: Perform a half-turn of the eyes to check the blind spot Step 3: Turn on the turn signal in the direction of the lane change Step 4: Check one last time that no vehicle is coming Step 5: Perform the lane change smoothly Step 6: Turn off the turn signal once the change is complete

Safe lane change on ordinary road

Priority during a lane change

Article 12.4 lists the maneuvers: « change lane or file, cross the roadway, leave or enter a parking space, emerge from a neighboring property, perform a U-turn or reverse ». Whoever executes a maneuver must yield to other users . The same article expressly excludes two cases: enter the roadway at the end of a cycle path by continuing straight; change lane or file in application of the zipper principle (art. 12bis). And article 12.5 clarifies what « yielding » means: continue driving only without risk of accident , taking into account the position of other users, their speed and the distance at which they are located.

Lane change in traffic jam

You are driving in a traffic jam and wish to change lanes. Even if you signal, you must yield to any vehicle already traveling on the lane you are heading towards. You can only merge if the lane is clear or if the other driver lets you pass.

The zipper is not a maneuver. This is the most counter-intuitive consequence of article 12.4: the driver who merges according to article 12bis does not have to yield , it is the drivers of the free lane who must yield priority to him, in turn , just before the narrowing. The zipper requires two conditions: traffic is heavily slowed , and one merges only just before the narrowing . If traffic is stopped on both sides, priority goes first to the driver of the right lane, then to the driver of the left lane.

Special case: pulling back in after overtaking

After an overtaking maneuver, the return to the right lane complies with article 16.6 , and not article 9.3.1: the driver must return to the right lane as soon as possible without hindering other drivers , by signaling the movement, with the signal ceasing as soon as the lateral displacement is completed. With the exception of the same article: whoever wishes to perform another overtaking maneuver immediately is not required to return to the right lane, on a one-way road or on a two-way road divided into four lanes or more. And remember article 16.7 : whoever is about to be overtaken must keep to the right as much as possible and cannot accelerate .

Correct return to right lane after overtaking

You overtake a truck on the left on the motorway. Once the overtaking is complete, you must: Signal right Check the blind spot on the right side Gradually return to the right lane Turn off the signal Remaining in the left lane after overtaking is prohibited.

Lane change and maneuvers from a parking space

Leaving a parking space, or entering one, is specifically listed in the maneuvers of article 12.4 : you must give way to other road users, and only proceed without risk of accident (art. 12.5). Article 12.4bis adds the case often forgotten when leaving a property or parking lot: the driver who crosses a sidewalk or cycle path must give way to users who regularly travel there.

Safe parking exit

You are leaving a parking space to merge into traffic. You must: Turn on the signal in the direction of your movement Check mirrors and blind spot Give way to any approaching vehicle Gradually merge into traffic

Article 13 : signal before and sufficiently in advance any maneuver, any lateral movement and any change of direction, and stop the signal as soon as it is completed. Article 12.4 : lane change is a maneuver; you must give way. Are not maneuvers: returning to the road at the end of a cycle path while going straight, and merging according to the zipper rule . Article 12.5 : giving way means only proceeding without risk of accident , considering the position, speed and distance of others. Article 12.4bis : give way to those traveling on the sidewalk or cycle path that you are crossing. Blind spot : mirrors are not enough; visual control over the shoulder remains the only reliable check, and blind spot detectors do not replace it. Article 16.6 : return to the right lane after overtaking, except to immediately perform another overtaking. Article 16.7 : the driver being overtaken keeps to the right and does not accelerate . Article 12bis : in the zipper merge, the driver in the free lane gives way, in turn , first to the right, then to the left.

Congratulations!

First complete the quiz for this lesson to validate your knowledge, then practice with the exam simulator and multiple choice questions . You have completed this entire course. Congratulations, time for practice!

BelgianLicenses

You know the theory; now it's time to practice. The simulator is your best ally.