Click and Clack ( mirror adjustment )

Seen this article in the newspaper Saturday regarding adjusting your mirrors
on your car. To eliminate blind spots, what do ya think, anyone driveing
like this?

http://cartalk.cars.com/

 

Yes. I'm a true believer. Many cars with power mirrors won't let the mirrors
go out far enough for my tastes. It's the first thing I check when test
driving a car I'm thinking about buying. Pick something fairly far back on
the far left side of the center mirror. Move the left mirror until that same
thing is in the far right side of the left mirror. Repeat reversed for the
right side. Try it for a week to get used to it. Then report back.

 

Seems too complicated and eliminates view along side, useful in parking
lots.

Simple solution is to get a small cheap wide angle mirror and put it on the
left side mirror. Gives complete left lane coverage and view along side.
Right side mirror usually is convex with wide view so does not need any
help. The hard part is remembering to look in the mirrors.

Dave

 

I'm a firm believer in this. Eliminates having to turn your head for
shoulder checks, but relies on peripheral vision and awareness of
course.

Learned it in an advanced driving course, and have used it since. The
way I aim them is not as precise as on the web page, but quick and
doesn't need a target to aim against:

- aim the rear view mirror so you can see (through) the entire rear
window
- put your head almost against the driver's side window, aim the side
view mirror such that you can see along the edge of the car at the
edge of the mirror
- lean towards the middle of the car, and do the same with the
passenger side window

One person mentioned that this method prevents seeing the side of the
car when parking. I have to disagree - you can still see the side of
the car by leaning towards one of the mirrors.

 

Another system:
1. With vehicle parked in nice open spot, place yourself away from the
left-hand side of car, somewhat beyond the rear.. You then move to your left
until you can't see the rear-view mirror. Have a helper stand in that spot
as you adjust the driver-side mirror to the extent that he/she is
comfortably visible in that mirror, left side of vehicle remaining visible.
You may have to use a bit of imagination to visualize the extent an
oncoming/passing vehicle would appear in this scenario, recognizing that
practice makes perfect.. Do the same on right side of vehicle for adjusting
passenger-side mirror.
3. Using all three mirrors now, one should have a reasonably good view of
all that is to the rear of the car, or passing.
4. Check it all out next time on four-lane highway.
5. Anything that works though, right?

Richard

 

Been doing it ever since that article first came out, and I wouldn't
think of changing it. It's incredibly useful.

 

Yes.

It is a simple application of intellect -- something these two are pretty
good at.

 

: Seen this article in the newspaper Saturday regarding adjusting your
mirrors
: on your car. To eliminate blind spots, what do ya think, anyone driveing
: like this?
:
: http://cartalk.cars.com/
:
No way. When I was 15, my father taught me never to trust my mirrors and
always to turn my head and look before changing lanes. It's always worked
for me -- not gonna stop now.

Paul

 

I was taught to do both. Adjusting the mirrors this way makes the mirror
part more effective.

 

Once you've adjusted your mirrors and have seen this work, you'll change
your mind. You can see the car in you rear view mirror; as it
disappears from there, it appears in the side mirror. As it disappears
from the side mirror, it appears in your peripheral vision right next to
you.

At no time is the car beside you out of your vision when you adjust your
mirrors like this.

 

I have been setting my side mirrors like this ever since I started driving.
Mainly, I drove like this because my Dad did it as well. I don't know why
he did it or who he learned it from, because this was well before the
article was written or even before the Internet was used en masse. Well, I
could not drive any other way now. I have over 10 years of multi long
trips, long distance highway commutes, and I have never been in a single
accident or sideswipe. I like this way so much that any car I am
considering purchasing must pass the "can the side mirrors angle out far
enough" test. This is a strict test, if the car won't pass it, I will not
buy it. I would highly recommend to use this technique. It is much safer,
much more efficient, and overall it really makes much more sense.

 

:

That's how almost everyone else was taught too. As I said in an above post,
I have driven with my side mirrors angled out ever since I started driving.
I also do not shoulder check at all, there is no need.

You may be singing a different tune if either one of two things happens to
you:

1) Someone in front of you on the highway decides to slam on their brakes a
split-second after you decide to look backwards going 70+ MPH (IE, trying to
pass them). You get a big surprise when you start looking forward again.
With the technique mentioned, you never have to take your eyes off of the
road in front of you, this is much safer. While moving your eyes to either
side mirror (which can be done a lot faster than the fastest of shoulder
checks), your peripheral vision will still allow you to notice brake lights,
speed differences, objects in roadway, etc.

2) In any kind of emergency situation in which a lane change would be the
only way to avoid an accident, you will either have to shift lanes quickly
without shoulder checking and pray no one is in that lane, or you will have
to hit whatever is in front of you. In a lot of situations, you won't have
time to do both. Shoulder checking takes way to long.

 

driving.

Same with me, been doing it for almost 20 years (and I'm only 35). I didn't
learn it from my Dad, though (he doesn't even wear seatbelts!). I read it
in Car&Driver or MotorTrend back in the early 80s and thought it made pretty
good sense then (I was big into car magazines as a teenager).

 

The technique they teach in advanced driver training schools,
like those for police officers, is to monitor your mirrors at ALL
times. In other words you should KNOW what is behind you and
aside of you at ALL times so you can act immediately in a
situation WITHOUT the need to first check you mirrors. Another
is to look as far down the road as you can see, rather than at
the traffic just ahead. Once you get used to doing that you will
find your are reacting to situations by slowing and braking well
before some drivers in front are reacting.



mike hunt

 

This is absolutely true. In an emergency there's not any time to even
check mirrors much less look over your shoulder.

One point of notice is that race cars generally mount their mirrors
far out on the fenders. This accomplishes two things. First it all but
eliminates blind spots on the sides. Second, you literally can see the
mirrors while you are looking forward. You see movement in the mirrors
even if you are focusing on them. I used to have these types of
mirrors on a MG years ago and they work really well. (And you can use
flat mirrors on both sides giving you better depth reading than convex
mirrors. Some people did put convex mirrors out on the fenders to
really provide a broad view, though.)

Why are they gone? Some guesses. Adjustable mirrors initially required
physical connections which would have been complicated to do on the
fender (not an issue with power, of course). Second, it was much more
affected by changing styles than the mirrors mounted on the doors. Not
sure why else.

 

My tractor that I drive has mirrors mounted on it's fenders, makes quite the
difference when you have the extra view planes. As you say, you see what's
going on around you without having to turn your head. Makes life that much
easier/safer. Especially when you've got seven mirrors to work with. Keep
your eyes moving and you'll not miss a thing.