Why the hell do most driver feel the need to see the side of their OWN car in their two side mirrors???? This one fact is the cause of most near misses I’ve ever almost been in while driving. Why is this so hard for people to understand.
YOUR SIDE MIRRORS ARE FOR COVERING YOUR BLIND SPOT!!!! NOT TO BE A SECOND AND THIRD REAR VIEW MIRROR!
Here is something that will help all of you IDIOTS who apparently bribed your Drivers Ed teachers and enjoy playing Russian Roulet with everyone else on the road! Read it and pay attention to it.
And finally, GET OFF THE FRIGGIN PHONE AND DRIVE!
It may surprise you to learn that there is a better way to set the rearview mirrors on your car. The quick test: if you look in your side mirrors and you see the side of the car, then you’ve got it wrong! This is the method recommended at most driving schools, including the BMW Performance Center in South Carolina. Essentially, most people have a huge overlap between the side and center rearview mirrors, which is unnecessary. By spreading your side mirrors you lose no information about what’s behind you, but gain valuable insight into what’s beside you.
Steps
- Lean your head over until it almost touches the driver’s window, and then position the side mirror on the car’s left side so you can just see the rear quarterpanel (the rear of the car) in the mirror. Note this will have it positioned farther out than you probably had it before.
- Lean your head to be just between the two front seats, at your normal height, and position the right side mirror so you can just see the rear quarterpanel of the passenger side in the mirror.
- Adjust the center rearview mirror to place it facing the center of the rear window. While driving note that a car passing you begins in the center of your rearview mirror. As it approaches you, it moves to the side of your center rear view mirror, and at the same time appears in your side mirror. This shows you that there is no rear blind spot, because there is an overlap between the mirrors.
- Also note that your side mirrors now capture a tremendous additional amount of information about what is in the lanes immediately next to your car. Previously you would have to turn your head to ensure nothing was in the lanes beside your car before changing lanes. Now, your side mirrors do a much better job of covering this blind spot on the side.
Tips
- Give it at least a week after setting your mirrors this way. It will seem foreign at first but soon will become second nature.
- Note that parallel parking becomes more difficult since you cannot see both your car and what’s next to it in your side mirrors without moving your head.
- Constantly scanning your mirrors instead of just checking them when you want to change lanes or pass someone will help to prevent someone from “sneaking” up on you. Pairing this mirror setting method with constant scanning will allow you to be aware of those around you at all times.
Warnings
- Don’t adjust mirrors while driving.
- ALWAYS look over your shoulders before changing lanes! While this mirror method is very effective at reducing blind spots, one can not depend on it to eliminate them. It is still possible for motorcycles, smaller cars, or even bicycles to hide in unexpected areas around your car.
- Looking over your shoulders gives you additional necessary information about the behavior of traffic around you that you can never get from mirrors no matter how well they are placed.
(source)
RULE OF THUMB:
Your side mirrors are set correctly when:
- The car in your rear view mirror begins to leave the outside edge of the rear mirror and begins to appear in the inward edge of the side mirror.
- The car approaching either side is starting to leave the outward side of the side mirror’s edge, it is begining to appear in your eyeball visual range if you turn your head parallel to your shoulder.
NOW LOOK AT THIS ANIMATION AND FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING WRONG! AND STOP ALMOST RUNNING ME OFF THE FRICKIN’ ROAD!
