Entering a major street from a side street is dangerous if you can't see who is coming toward you from the left, as when a truck or behemoth SUV is parked nearby blocking the view. You have to inch out slowly to see if the coast is clear. Fences, walls and large trees have the same effect.
Since many cars have a long hood, there could be some kind of side view mirrors mounted toward the front of the car. That way you could know if anyone's bearing down on you before the driver's position passes the sightline obstruction.
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In Japan, they mount round convex mirrors either across the road, or (if the road is too wide) on a nearside corner to deal with cases like this. Allows drivers to see if the road's clear when entering a (tiny) major street from (an even tinier) side street.
P.S. To the editors, I'd like to suggest a "Japan" category. I have dozens of "ideas" that are done in Japan but not in the West (as far as I know).
Or you could wait until the larger vehicle moves so you have an unobstructed view of what's coming at you. . .
I feel your pain... In the late winter, when several feet of snow are piled on what should be the curb, it's impossible to see what's coming without having your car in harm's way. Having front-mounted mirrors is a good idea, but what about some kind of motion detection system? Sensors could be mounted on all four corners of the vehicle, which would trigger a display to flash when a vehicle (or any moving object) approaches.
I'm all for this idea, mainly because I proposed the same thing here several years ago, but my post appears to be gone. :-(