I discovered something amazing

[randay]

did you also know that toilet paper is much more effective when you use it to wipe the shit off your corn hole?

 

[yhelothar]

I the technique in the OP's link and I move my head forward a little while looking at the side-view mirrors to get a better look at the blind spots.
There shouldn't be any reason to turn your head to look if you know how to use the mirrors properly.

 

[randay]

Originally posted by: astroidea
I the technique in the OP's link and I move my head forward a little while looking at the side-view mirrors to get a better look at the blind spots.
There shouldn't be any reason to turn your head to look if you know how to use the mirrors properly.

learn2drive

so mr properly, what happens when a car 2 lanes over decides to merge at the exact same time you do?

 

[thomsbrain]

I know I *should* do this, but I find it extremely disorienting to look in the mirror and not have the road scrolling by parallel to the car's movement. I just make it a habit to always make a quick look-around before actually changing lanes.

Orienting them parallel and supplementing with your head gives you a wider overall picture than using the "proper" mirror adjustment, because if you just use "proper" mirrors, you will not see the guy closing on you at 20 MPH faster than you until he has already imprinted himself into half of your rear bumper because you only checked your blind spot and it looked empty before you started to change lanes. You need to see farther behind you to make a safe lane change than just what is in your blind spot. Also, you need to look around with your head anyway to check for cars with their signals on in the lane on the far side of your target lane. Those cars may be dead even with you and won't show up in any mirror adjustment.

 

[LTC8K6]

Mirrors alone aren't enough, imo. Should at least be taking a peek.

Also, lane widths seem to vary. I need to readjust my mirrors when I get on a big slab like I-40 or I-95. Lane width is wider than the local highways, I guess.

 

[lizardboy]

Originally posted by: Throwmeabone
Here's a link that explains it: http://www.linquist.net/motorsports/tech/mirrors/

The idea is that the rear view mirror is to see things behind you and the side mirrors are to see cars in your left and right blind spots instead of also being redundantly focused behind you. It makes it SO much easier to merge onto the highway because you can see cars passing through your blind spot without ever having to turn your head (although I still do). I was skeptical at first but I was sold the first time I merged onto the highway. Try it!

Edit: Also for those of you who won't bother to click the link, this is what you do: Touch your head to the left window and move the side mirror until you can't see the side of the car anymore. Then move your head the other way until it is in the center of the car and adjust the right mirror until you can't see the car anymore.

I worked at a drivers ed school one summer years ago, it was the first summer they had switched over to teaching this method to the kids. I was the one who had to explain to the irate parents what in the hell we were teaching their kids, so I did a fair amount of reading on the subject. Turns out that study after study has shown that this method is better than the traditional turn-your-head-and-check-the-blind-spot method. Many, many accidents occur when drivers turn their heads to check blind spots. Having said that, I still drive the way I learned, and I've never had a wreck that was my fault since I got my license.

/knock on wood

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Heard it on Car Talk forever and a half ago. Or my dad did and told me when I got my license, he listens to them religiously.

 

[lxskllr]

Using mirrors is a good skill to learn. There's no turning your head in a big truck or panel van, so you better know how to use mirrors. I don't even have a rear view mirror. It fell off in the summer heat, and I reattached it twice. After it fell off the 3rd time, I gave up and drive without it.

 

[Homerboy]

I'm confused... you mean the SIDEview mirrors are there to see whats on the SIDEs of you? And the READview mirror is there to see whats in the REAR of you (please insert second grade jokes here... I mean in this sentence... not in "the rear").

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: FDF12389

Originally posted by: zerocool84
Relying on mirrors instead of turning your head is just stupid. It's just asking for crashes. Mirrors can't catch everything.

Agreed

What do they miss besides vampires?

 

[Spineshank]

I close my eyes and pray when i change lanes.

 

[rh71]

tried it a while back but I hate that all the sidewalk scenery (like trees, stores, etc.) is completely visible in your peripheral vision from the driver's side mirror when you're just driving along. Not worth it. I got one of those long slightly-convex mirrors as a rear-view and I can see my blind spots very well thank you. Helps with knowing my surroundings at all times without actively looking around my mirrors.

That leads me to another peeve... why do people look up at their rear-view mirrors with their entire head? Angle that correctly and just use your eyeballs.

 

[sdifox]

I adjust my rear view to just show half of rear so I see more of the passenger side rear corner. I can shift my head a little to the right to check the half lane right behind me if necessary.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
This should be the first thing you do when you get behind the wheel of any car. Adjust the mirrors so that where things leave off in the rear view mirror come into view on the side view mirror. Adjusted properly you will still have a bit of a blind spot but a quick glance to the side will catch anything in your blind spot in your peripheral vision.

You should NOT be able to see the side of your car in your side view mirrors. Nor should you be turning your head and body to look behind you when changing lanes. You only need to turn your head about 45 degrees from straight ahead to see if there is a car alongside you.

I can't believe how many people don't know this. It should be common knowledge really.

Bingo.

And to everyone recommending those stupid little "spotter" mirrors: One of the surest indicators that a driver will perform some boneheaded stupid maneuver is the presence of those mirrors on anything less than a full-size pickup (where they become useful for towing). If you need spotter mirrors on something the size of an Accord, you probably shouldn't be driving.

ZV

 

[ViviTheMage]

wow that seems SO odd...I will have to try that.

 

[lokiju]

I will never rely only on mirrors.

As being a motorcycle owner also and almost being run off the road nearly every time I go on an extended ride, it's painfully obvious that people that rely on their mirrors to see if a car is next to them do not even take into consideration that there just might be a motorcycle also that isn't so easily seen when you don't actually turn your head to look first.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: zerocool84
Relying on mirrors instead of turning your head is just stupid. It's just asking for crashes. Mirrors can't catch everything.

Having mirrors that that show you nothing useful is even more stupid. The way most people adjust their side mirrors, they're useless.

seriously. ive adjusted my side mirrors as the OP suggests ever since I got my license. i cant see the side of my car, and i have only a very minor blindspot.

 

[LordMorpheus]

I use my side-views to reverse-park all the time. I let the inside most part of the image show just a bit of fender.

The rear-view mirror doesn't let me tell at a glance if my fender is clear of an obstacle or not.

 

[DaWhim]

after a few close to crash side-wipe experience for nothing turning my head when changing lane, I knew the old method didn't work! I searched around on naisco (subaru owner here) to see how people set their side mirror.

No problem with changing lanes ever since then. it did took me awhile to adjust to the new setting. Now I don't turn my head to see because this method totally eliminate the blind spot.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: randay

Originally posted by: astroidea
I the technique in the OP's link and I move my head forward a little while looking at the side-view mirrors to get a better look at the blind spots.
There shouldn't be any reason to turn your head to look if you know how to use the mirrors properly.

learn2drive

so mr properly, what happens when a car 2 lanes over decides to merge at the exact same time you do?

uh same as if you were to turn your head to look as i'd see the same thing

 

[PaperclipGod]

Sweet mother of god, people are just "discovering" this?!

I mean, there's plenty of things I'm ignorant of, but how to use the mirrors on your car just seems like common sense. I mean, if they aren't for checking out your blind spot, then why would they be there??

Just in case -- guys, try flipping the little tab below your rear-view mirror at night -- it makes the reflections of headlights behind you appear dimmer!

 

[JDub02]

I've been setting my mirrors like this for years. I can watch cars transition from my rearview to my side mirror, then finally into my peripheral vision. Almost no blind spots.

 

[Dragula22]

Originally posted by: BouZouki
I love all the people in this thread saying how mirrors are useless and they always turn their head.

You are the ones who are waiting for an accident to happen. If your mirrors are properly adjusted, you only need a quick rotation of the neck that should last a split second simply to check your blind spot and that is it.

I see morons all the time who don't use their mirrors and turn their whole torso around to look out their windows and end up rear ending the car in front of them because they took their eyes off the road for too long.

Another cool trick is to adjust your rear view mirror to only have view of the right half of your rear window and the rest of the mirror tilted to view your D pillar window, eliminating any blind spots on the right hand side.

I don't give a f what other posters say. This man speaks the truth.

Turning your head around to check blind spots is retarded.

 

[WT]

This was in Popular Mechanics a few years ago, and after reading that I've been turning my mirrors ever since. Its a no-brainer, but everybody does it the wrong way until they read this and decide whether they want to change or not.

 

[DaWhim]

Originally posted by: WT
This was in Popular Mechanics a few years ago, and after reading that I've been turning my mirrors ever since. Its a no-brainer, but everybody does it the wrong way until they read this and decide whether they want to change or not.

sad thing was I tried to convert a few people to this method and they didn't get it.