Side view mirrors

Am I wrong, or not? My daughters were taught in driver training to move the side mirrors out until the side of the car is visible only if your head is against the window. I get tons of cars in the shop where this is quite obviously the way they are adjusted. I do not like this. I always have the inside edge of the mirror set so I can just see the edge of the car, and if I need to see further over, I lean ahead. I like having the reference of the cars side available, and I can scope the entire lane I might wish to merge into with a scan of the mirror and a quick shoulder check.

This may come from growing up driving trucks where the mirrors are the only way to see back, but it really seems useless to be able to see what is two lanes over, but not what is directly beside.

And while I'm complaining, what is the deal with mirrors that aim themselves at the rear tires when the car is put in reverse? Just quit setting your kid by the rear tire...

I agree with you. I prefer them the same way.

However, I'll bet the other way has some proven effectiveness at eliminating blind spots, which probably reduces accidents because, as we all know, the average driver today is a moron who can't drive for E36 M3.

In reply to SVreX:

Its the only thing that makes sense to me...although the effort of leaning ahead 4 inches to check the blind spot doesn't seem that difficult.

I too learned using mirrors in driving a truck with the same paint scheme
As noted above, I need a little (just a little) of the trailer visible in the mirror at all times. I am a fan of spot mirrors as well but also want a little bit of the truck/trailer in them too.

I had a Ford Escape as a company car. It had built in convex mirrors as such:
The concept seems good but the small portion is not independently adjustable. I hated them. I could not see my vehicle in them so I had no frame of reference.
I ultimately covered them with similar like this, which were adjustable.

I use your daughter's method. It does minimize blind spots, and you adjust to not seeing the side of your car (if you think about it, you want to see approaching cars before they are up against your rear quarter panel.)

I want to see the edges of my car for parking etc. Being a long time motorcyclist I always check with a head turn regardless of the way the mirrors are set

I set the side mirrors so that when the car leaves the rear view mirror's range, it's now in the side view mirror's range. Once it leaves the side view's, I can see it in the window.

My truck came with some wee convex mirrors in the corners as shown above. At first I hated them, and now I live by them - they are fantastic. My truck has a canopy with tinted windows - it's a bugger to see through the back, so I rely on the mirrors.

The BMW only has a drivers side mirror. Head turn always happens. Mirrors are adjusted to barely see the back of the car and are mainly used to see in my lane not adjacent.

I like the "reference point" of having the rear of the car barely visible. I always turn my head to check the blindspot, even though I watch the mirrors to the point where I know where everyone is, so if I HAVE to bail, I know which way to turn the wheel. I like that reference point.

SkinnyG wrote: I set the side mirrors so that when the car leaves the rear view mirror's range, it's now in the side view mirror's range. Once it leaves the side view's, I can see it in the window.

This. It makes perfect sense. If you set up your mirrors this way you have full 360 degree view around your car without moving around. When I first strated driving I liked to have the very edge of the car in my side view mirror for reference and it was weird when I moved the mirrors out more to eliminate the blind spot, but I got used to it really quick and it's much better IMO.

I set my mirrors the way your daughter is taught, but I also drive cars with gargantuan blindspots, for which that method helps a lot. (In my truck, I do keep them turned in slightly closer to keep an eye on the end of the longbed.)

I'm a subscriber to the SkinnyG method as well.

You don't need to see the car in all three mirrors at once.

Once you get used to it, it's a better way.

This new theory of mirrors is weird to me. It seems based on the notions that:

a. The center mirror view and side mirror views overlap perfectly,

b. That being able to see the edge of your own car while backing into a parking space is dangerous,

c. That you magically see cars sitting beside your rear fender without a mirror,

d. That only with a mirror can you see a car parallel to you, several lanes over,

e. That you really need to be able to see cars several lanes over, not the ones right beside you.

I don't agree with this thinking. I set my side mirrors so I can just see the edge of the car when I look at the mirror. For wider range, I also stick a bullseye mirror on.

Jaynen wrote: I always check with a head turn regardless of the way the mirrors are set

+1

JoeyM wrote:

Jaynen wrote: I always check with a head turn regardless of the way the mirrors are set

+1

this is how we were taught in driver's ed way back in 1990, and it's the way i still drive today... people look at me funny when they see me turn my head before doing a lane change on the interstate, but i've been driving for 22 years and haven't had an accident yet..

regarding the mirrors: i set the driver's side so that i see just a little bit of the side of the car as a reference point, and i don't generally use the passenger's side mirror so i don't really set it.

If you can see the side of the car in your side mirrors then all that gains you is being able to see a following car in two mirrors. If you can see a car in your rear view mirror, there is no reason you also need to be able to see it in your side view mirror. Move them out. That is one of my niggling complaints on my Miata - the side mirrors don't quite go out far enough. I always keep them both out as far they will go. My wife uses the "gotta see the side of the car" theory and it just makes for giant blind spots. Those little stick on convex mirrors to me just scream that the person behind the wheel has no idea of how to set their mirrors and I watch out for them when traveling in their vicinity.

The convex blind spot mirrors have their place. On my Dually (standard cab longbed), you can't see the rear tires in the regular mirrors, but the blind spot mirror lets me see where they are on the road, so I don't drop the tires off the side of the road or hits curbs. That is the only vehicle I have with them though. I also have add on mirrors for towing, since the stock ones aren't out far enough to see around the trailer.

I have my side mirrors adjusted so I can just see the side of the car if I lean over a little. Like others said, it gives me the widest viewing range.

stuart in mn wrote: I use your daughter's method. It does minimize blind spots, and you adjust to not seeing the side of your car (if you think about it, you want to see approaching cars before they are up against your rear quarter panel.)

Ditto. I adjust my mirrors so the field of view in the side mirrors only just overlaps the interior mirror. I can see the side of the car if I shift my head near the door and do this when backing up. From years of driving a conversion van with zero rear visibility, I can only back up using my side mirrors. Likewise, knowing what is beside the rear corner of the van was a hell of a lot more important than knowing what is behind me. I really don't give a crap about what's behind me. I would adjust my truck mirrors the same way (except the truck's crappy OE Dodge mirrors don't hold adjustement anymore and rotate on the arm..)

Seriously... I don't understand adjusting the side mirrors to view the side of the car. That shows you what's next to you all right - after you've hit it. My g/f used to adjust her mirrors that way until she got used to the way I would reset them.

push mine out as far as they'll go .... which isn't all that far .. like others have said .. if I can see them in my rear view mirror I don't need to see them in my side mirrors ..

it's REALLY a help at the track ... that last mirror glance just before turn-in for that dumb-a$$ that decides to dive bomb you into a corner .... you know he was there .. ( in the rear view ) now he's not there .. yeah got him inside me ... gives me a chance to avoid contact with a dumb a$$ ( TT not w2w )

The First Rule of Italian Driving applies here.

I can't see anything much out the back of the Transit Connect so my solution is:

Jaynen wrote: I want to see the edges of my car for parking etc. Being a long time motorcyclist I always check with a head turn regardless of the way the mirrors are set

This is my theory. Although I'm not a cyclist, I am always keeping track of the cars around me in case I need to swerve. Very helpful because somehow at 65 mph, people have a tendency to spin out ahead of me.

chrome horn ?

one for classic cars with mirrors on the fender

YOU WILL NOT CONVERT ME!!!

I WILL LOOK AT THE SIDE OF MY CAR FOREVER!!!!