How are your side view mirrors adjusted?

[LeeH]

At the first driving school I attended many years ago, I was taught to adjust my side view mirrors out so that as a car overtakes from the rear, it moves from the field covered by the rear view mirror into the field covered by the side view mirror. Now as the car moved from the field covered by the side view mirror, it should enter the driver's peripheral vision.

Based on observing other cars (and my car after someone else had driven it) it seems most people don't do this. Just wondering how the other Pelicans have theirs adjusted.

[nostatic]

Way wide. Most seem to have them so they can see behind them. I want to see what is beside me. Got reinforced on the track especially since you can't turn your head with a HANS or equivalent on.

[stomachmonkey]

Most people have them too far in which is why they have blind spots.

Blind spots for the most part can be eliminated completely.

The way I set mine is lean my head against the drivers side window and move the mirror out till I can just barely see the rear side of my car.

For passenger side lean head into the center of the car and adjust out till I can barely see the rear of the passenger side.

Depending on vehicle you may need to fine tune.

[Oh Haha]

Driving a commercial vehicle with ONLY side mirrors really enforces the proper placement.

For my car's mirrors I have them adjusted so I can glance at the sides or windshield mirror with little head movement.

I also drive in a very upright position. Comfortable for me but others that have sat/driven in my vehicles feel like they are going to hit the windshield.


The folks that lay back or lean over to the passenger's seat slay me. They can't POSSIBLY see what's going on around them. But they DO look cool.

[UconnTim97]

This method has worked for me:

[legion]

I've only ever see females do this, but...I love it when someone uses their rear-view mirrors as vanity mirrors: they are all set so the drive can see herself.

In my truck, I have them set so that I can see the rear corners of the bed. This is what I need for backing, but I find that I have blind spots towards the rear of the bed on the sides.

[Super_Dave_D]

This video shows the proper way

AutoFocus - Are your car mirrors adjusted correctly? - YouTube

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by legion

In my truck, I have them set so that I can see the rear corners of the bed. This is what I need for backing, but I find that I have blind spots towards the rear of the bed on the sides.

Same way I do it. I can barely see the side of my vehicle but it is a reference point, I also turn my head before changing lanes ect.

[masraum]

I guess I was never really taught, or if I was, I don't remember and for years, I did it wrong. Most folks that I know, including me in the past, adjusted so they could just barely see the edge of the car. That leaves a huge blind spot.

I now adjust them how you have in your example. It's much better and leaves no blind spot. I've tried to get my wife and daughter to change, but they won't.

[jyl]

I adjust them to barely see the rear corner of my car, and then "out" a bit further from that. Anything further forward, I can see with a quick head turn. You have to turn your head here, unless you want to be washing bicyclists off your car.

[svandamme]

Very wide, + i got a 3 door 1 series bmw... My front door window is huge, the pillar is way behind me.. I got my head on a swivel when i drive, i can look over my shoulder real easy.

[Tobra]

I do mine about how John describes. My Dad told me you don't need to see your car in the mirror, it is not going to hit you.

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by masraum

I've tried to get my wife and daughter to change, but they won't.

My wife adopted the outboard adjustment as soon as I started, which makes sharing cars a lot easier. Any shop that has done work requiring a test drive returns the car with the mirrors pulled back in.

[speeder]

I adjust them so that I can barely see the side of my own car. I don't want the blind spot between my car and where you guys begin the adjustment. We have motor scooters and MCs that lane-split on the freeway here + bicyclists that ride 12" away from parked cars @ 30mph. Doing it your way would cause a lot of road pizza. For anything past the outside limit of the side mirrors, I turn my head. I almost never need to turn my head. (For rear approaching traffic).

[speeder]

That guy on youTube is 100% wrong and he's promoting some horseschit driving. Turn your fricken head for a milisecond before changing lanes if you do not want to kill some poor bastard on a bike. Jesuschrist...