Visual syndrome where drivers cant see objects near e.g. A-pillars

This is a really good article:

https://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/

If there were photos taken of the scene, check where their satnav/mobile was. Shouldn't be obstructing the swept area of the screen, and next to the A-pillar they can create an even larger blind-spot.

Driving yesterday rolling up to a roundabout I managed to hide an entire bright red T5 Transporter van behind my a-pillar, only caught it in my final check for the junction.

Are you thinking of the way the brain compensates for the blind spots in your vision by 'filling in' the gap, and hence can not see something that is there?

Yes there is a posh name for that... can't remember it though!

One memorable occasion, coming down hill towards traffic lights, slow to a halt as they're on red.  Sit there for maybe ten, fifteen seconds and I hear a car coming behind me.  I glance to the right, satisfied in my peripheral vision that the car has come to a stop.  I look forward again and about three seconds later, I feel a 'shunt' from behind.    Get off the bike, go to driver's window.  By the time I get there, the driver is already shouting, 'you fackin' rolled back into me, ya cant!'

I politely enquire as to how many bicycles he knows have reverse gear which will allow them to 'reverse' up a hill.  'Pay fackin' road tax, ya fackin' cant!' is the screamed response as he runs the red and goes on his way.

Sadly for him, the camera doesn't lie.  Or in this case, the helmet camera doesn't lie.  He got three points and a £250 fine.  

Yeah. It’s called laziness. 

Don't  know the posh name. It ought to be called CBA syndrome. They vaguely look, don't see anything big enough to hurt them or their precious, stop caring.

The most likely reason they didn't see you is because they didn't expect to see you. Other physiological factors may have been in play, but those drivers that only take a cursory look and don't see something didn't expect to see what they were looking at, so failed to register it. It's a simple and very common phenomena which your brain actually uses to interpret the world and not suffer information overload, as well as Canyon48 suggests, part of the process your brain uses to stitch a series of 'still' shots into a motion view of the world.

Well demonstrated in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

First off, I hope you and your bike are ok!

I can't remember the exact term for this, but it does exist (that doesn't mean it was a factor). Trying to remember back to my human performance studies I did for my pilot's license!

If there is a fixed relative closing angle between two objects, it is very difficult for the human eye to pick up an object in the peripheral (as there is no relative movement of the object in relation to the windscreen). Moreover, if you only do a quick observation/lookout the eye can actually miss objects due to the way your brain stitches together images. On top of all of that, your eye can actually see an object that is on a collision course, but because your brain doesn't expect to see that object (or doesn't understand that object), your brain can literally erase it from your vision. A lot was learnt about these factors in WWII, when fighter pilots literally would not see very obvious targets - and they'd get shot down.

However, all that said, it is more likely the driver was paying very little attention, was distracted, or was looking at traffic on the roundabout on the right and didn't even take one look at you.

They managed not to see a stationary object through their big glass windscreen.  Probably shouldn't be on the road.

They don't just hit little us, street furniture, other cars, buses and lorries, it's kind of shocking what they manage not to see.