How to properly adjust your car's side-view mirrors

[FiveFreshFish]

I've had them adjusted like this for years but this is the first time I've seen a good illustration on how it's done. It takes a little bit to get used to, but for me it's a safer way to drive because I no longer need to shoulder check.

Click (http://cartalk.cars.com/features/mirrors/index.html)

http://cartalk.cars.com/Columns/images/step-4.gif

[core_upt]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
for me it's a safer way to drive because I no longer need to shoulder check.

Shouldn't you ALWAYS shoulder check??
It just seems the safest way to go.:dunno:

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
http://cartalk.cars.com/Columns/images/step-4.gif what kinda rear view do they use? mine only allows me to see directly out the rear window, its not big enough for me to see the sides like in that diagram.

[ZorroAMG]

side view mirrors jeff..LOL

[Khyron]

The best rule of thumb is you shouldn't be able to see the side of your car in the driver side mirror unless your cheek is smushed against the window. And if your head is right dead center between driver and passenger seat, you should barely see your passenger side.

And you always shoulder check, because there are bikes and such that are still small enough to be in your blind spot, even with perfectly alligned mirrors.

Khyron

[Davan]

I have mine adjusted like this:

If a car is passing me from behind... I see him in my rear view first... when he's gaining on me, and disappears from the rear view he is now in the side view. When he's further up ahead that he's no longer in the side vew, well, he's pretty much right beside me. So I will ALWAYS see him, no matter where he is.

[ZorroAMG]

Originally posted by Khyron
The best rule of thumb is you shouldn't be able to see the side of your car in the driver side mirror unless your cheek is smushed against the window. And if your head is right dead center between driver and passenger seat, you should barely see your passenger side.

And you always shoulder check, because there are bikes and such that are still small enough to be in your blind spot, even with perfectly alligned mirrors.

Khyron

EXACTLY!!! So many people think you should see some of the car when seated properly..WRONG!!!

[ThreePly]

I get what they're trying to do here but there's a scenario where I think this is fairly dangerous.

consider many cars stuck in traffic on a road which has speeds around 80km+. You're in a long line of cars, but to your right is an open lane. Because your mirrors are angled out more, you can no longer see cars coming up directly behind you in the next lane. Since they're coming up fairly fast, you could be smoked when trying to pull out into the open lane. Had your mirrors been pointed directly behind you, you'd clearly see cars in the distance that are fast approaching.

I haven't tried this mirror setup, but to me, it seems dangerous in a situation like this. I do like the fact it gets ride of blind spots beside you though.

Does anyone using this setup find any problems in the type of situation I've described, or do you still get fairly good viewable distance behind you?

[Khyron]

I shoulder check and look. You can also see if you just angle the car at a slight 10-20 degree turn.

Or don't move out, cause regardless of how many mirrors you have, pulling out of a line that is stopped into a moving lane is dangerous (and except for the rare situation, useless). Because even with your setup, you wouldn't see the car 5 cars back pull out out either. By having your mirrors pointing straight back (I used to do it) you're just widening your view directly behind. You'll have real troubles if you drive a truck or something else with blind spots.

Khyron

[T5_X]

I like having my passenger side mirror angled slightly down so I can see my passenger side rear wheel. Makes for good parallel parks :thumbsup:

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by ZorroAMG
side view mirrors jeff..LOL haha idiot, what i mean is that from that diagram it shows the rear view mirrors line of site as being able to see right thru the c pillars, which afaik, most rear view mirrors dont do, so what am i not getting about that diagram?

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by core_upt
Shouldn't you ALWAYS shoulder check??
It just seems the safest way to go.:dunno:
I never do a full shoulder check anymore after adopting this method of mirror adjusting.

What I do is a "deliberate glance" at the side mirror, i.e. quickly turn my head so I'm looking directly at the mirror momentarily. In my peripheral vision, I see what would be in the tiny blind spot, and I still can see the road ahead. Faster than a shoulder check because I'm not twisting my neck around so much.

Shoulder checking takes your eyes completely off the front of the road, and IMO, that's dangerous. It took me weeks to get used to this idea, but now I'll never go back to the "old" way. Believe me, I had my reservations when I first tried and asked all the same questions.

The only time this method doesn't work is if you don't have a passenger side mirror.





Originally posted by ThreePly
I get what they're trying to do here but there's a scenario where I think this is fairly dangerous.

consider many cars stuck in traffic on a road which has speeds around 80km+. You're in a long line of cars, but to your right is an open lane. Because your mirrors are angled out more, you can no longer see cars coming up directly behind you in the next lane. Since they're coming up fairly fast, you could be smoked when trying to pull out into the open lane. Had your mirrors been pointed directly behind you, you'd clearly see cars in the distance that are fast approaching.

I haven't tried this mirror setup, but to me, it seems dangerous in a situation like this. I do like the fact it gets ride of blind spots beside you though.

Does anyone using this setup find any problems in the type of situation I've described, or do you still get fairly good viewable distance behind you?
In this situation you describe, you are sitting still and waiting to move into the next lane. You have time to lean over to position your head so you can see rearward in the side mirror. When it's clear, return to your driving position and simultaneously make your lane change.

Now this may seem like an inconvenience, but the freedom of not having to shoulder check outweighs it IMO. More often than not, you'll be changing lanes while moving, and that's when you can't afford to take your eyes off the road. When you're stopped in traffic trying to move into the open lane, you have time to move your head over to see rearward.

[403Gemini]

mines set up on both sides so that if i can see the cars lights in the rear view, its safe. but i still do a quick glance ;) never can truley rely on mirrors