Are your mirrors set properly? Check this!

[nesslar]

"...combined with close following....." There is a problem.
Would have loved some of that apple pie, I might add.

[DRACO A5OG]

Holy Smokes Batman!

It actually worked, I had more visibility of the adjacent cars in traffic.

Kind of strange at first but use to it very quickly.

Thanks for a great Post!

[javadog]

This method isn't great. A better solution is to adjust the center mirror first (and this adjustment will vary a little, according to the type of road you are driving on) and then adjust the side mirrors to have their field of view begin where the field of view of the center mirror ends. That gives you the maximum coverage of what is behind and beside you. You still need to look over your shoulder. No mirror obviates the need for that.

JR

[ratpiper71T]

Turning your head, like one poster already mentioned is becoming a lost art. No matter how you turn your mirrors, there is always a blind spot, you're just moving it's position on the mirror. I've been cut of so many damn times when I'm driving the smaller cars, now I always drive with the lights ON. The flash of headlghts, even in the sunny daytime, tends to get people's attention better.
Note. Yelling, "will yah turn your effin' head around for the love of god!" has not made me very popular with the wife or other folks. But it has helped to avoid many an accident!

[Scooter]

I positioned the mirrors on my wife's Trooper last night and WOW...what a difference! I've been driving for years without adequate visibility.

I highly recommend viewing this video and taking the advice.

[75Carrera]

Excellent points made here by all. Obviously maximizing your view to cover the blind spots is a no-brainer. Add that to looking over your shoulder for a visual "second option" and you should be safe rather in LA traffic or on your hometown track.
Many of the requirements for track drivers are good to remember off track as well. Torque your wheels properly (90-100 lbs), remove all loose objects, carry a fire extinguisher and follow the rules! All good advice for daily drivers too...

[Wil Ferch]

Like I said, you don't "undo" good habits....I'm just sayin' the button mirrors are an abomination when all you need to do ( for the same effect..and better) is to adjust the mirrors as stated. Whether a boffoon is making one lane change ( or 2 or 3 at once) does *not* negate the fact that there is no blind spot between all 3 rear view mirrors.....when's he's changin' lanes.....you can see ( right to left, say) passenger mirror....middle mirror...left mirror, always with an overlap between any 2 mirrors.

Don't understand the nearly venomous responses.....it just works this way.

[DRACO A5OG]

Well Dr Ferch, I for one am convinced.

I am trying to get use to seeing cars on my sides now.

No wonder people honk at me prior to this simple adjustment.

There is always resistance to change, my wifey laughed at me but I think she is convinced as well.

[Wil Ferch]

It does take some getting used to...and yes there *is* inertia as resistance to change, I see this in the work-process arena as part of my job too. Human nature.

The "fleeting images" alongside that you see in the mirrors look odd at first. I especially like the lessened glare at night for the "wingman" car that usually sits alongside-and-back a bit.......outside mirrors don't have the day/nite feature of the inside/middle mirror.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by javadog

This method isn't great. A better solution is to adjust the center mirror first (and this adjustment will vary a little, according to the type of road you are driving on) and then adjust the side mirrors to have their field of view begin where the field of view of the center mirror ends. That gives you the maximum coverage of what is behind and beside you. You still need to look over your shoulder. No mirror obviates the need for that.

JR

I tend to use this method. The procedure outlined in the video is a bit arbitrary, but should work for most.

For the person who was saying they like to have a bit of their car showing in the mirror, (for a point of reference, I suspect), I will quote a driving instructor I once heard:
"No one has ever been hit by the side of his own car."

In short, you know where your car is, adjust your mirrors to help you pick up the things you wouldn't otherwise see.

Thanks for the post.
Les

[75Carrera]

Originally Posted by Wil Ferch

Like I said, you don't "undo" good habits....I'm just sayin' the button mirrors are an abomination when all you need to do ( for the same effect..and better) is to adjust the mirrors as stated. Whether a boffoon is making one lane change ( or 2 or 3 at once) does *not* negate the fact that there is no blind spot between all 3 rear view mirrors.....when's he's changin' lanes.....you can see ( right to left, say) passenger mirror....middle mirror...left mirror, always with an overlap between any 2 mirrors.

Don't understand the nearly venomous responses.....it just works this way.

Hummm... "Venomous responses"... No better place to find them than among strong-minded individuals (like we all are) than right here on Pelican. Some are simply mis-phrasing their opinions and comments while others seem to love the adverse world of the contrary *********.. No matter, We love them too! Makes this all the more fun. This mirror is a "tip" not a rule. Just be safe out there.

[ianvan]

I tried this adjustment and it does improve visibility of cars in adjacent lanes. However...
I drive in a part of town where there are a lot of push bikes in bike lanes and they ride quite close to the car (because that's were the bike lane is). With mirrors positioned as instructed bikes are actually less visible. Ok, I can hear y'all saying "who cares", but wiping out a rider can really spoil your day.

[Geronimo '74]

Thanks for the tip!!

I'll adjust my mirrors accordingly before I drive home tonight and see how it goes!

[BoxsterGT]

Very, very good advice. Bump to top-

[manbridge 74]

Tried it back then and didn't like it. Seems some perspective is lost.

Turning head is too ingrained.

[Jfporco]

I always twist and look, but this is extra precaution I can live with. Thanks for the post!

[docrodg]

Car Talk discussed this years ago and I have been doing it for ages, and it is much better. This trick also works well on our ambulances, which have a rearview mirror but you can't see crap outta it; and on my big ass truck that has no rearview and neither will let you look over your shoulder due to the body sticking out. The trick with limited or no rearview is to have a fisheye mirror adjusted correctly. Correct use of a fisheye is not to show what is out far from the body,it is to show what is alongside the body so you can see where the heck your rear corner is and the parking lines you are aiming for; so a "tall" view close to the body that shows road on up to the midpoint or higher of the rear body at a minimum. It is a method of adjusting mirrors that is taught in our EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operators Course) and is mandatory on our bigger trucks for sure as a large firetruck has no rearview. I park the heavy rescue all the time with only 4 inches clearance on each side through the door using just the fisheye to line up, and our ambulances are parked tight together due to space restraints same way.

Adjust mirrors like this and use them... scan often.