9 ms·

eh, depending on the car, often times a blind spot is just due to someone failing to adjust their mirrors properly. if you actually do it right, you should not

by gfodor 10y ago

eh, depending on the car, often times a blind spot is just due to someone failing to adjust their mirrors properly. if you actually do it right, you should not have a blind spot. if you can see your own car in your side view mirrors, you've adjusted them wrong. if they are adjusted correctly, cars approaching on either side of your vehicle will pass from the rear view, to the side mirror, into your peripheral vision with no gap of visibility.

stephenr 10y ago
I've read about this supposed "solution" and the greatest thing I took away was that it trades side-of-car blind spots (which I can resolve by turning my head) for rear-of-car blind spots, which I can do nothing about, as my head doesn't rotate 180º.
- hx87 10y ago
  > for rear-of-car blind spots How so? The only possible issue I can see about that solution is that you can't see your own car in the side mirrors and thus judging relative position is slightly more difficult. Of course, the best solution is aspherical mirrors, but for some reason they're not allowed in the USA.
  - stephenr 10y ago
    http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-car/ http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-ca...
    - hx87 10y ago
      The diagram in that article underestimates the viewing angle of the various mirrors in the car--my rear view mirror has far more than 90 degrees FOV, and when my side view mirrors are adjusted the "new" way I am just barely unable to see the side of my car.
- jstanley 10y ago
  You can't see behind your car using your wing mirrors, you need to use the rear-view mirror. Even if you have the wing mirrors pointing behind your car, the sides of the car obscure your view. I like to adjust the wing mirrors so that a tiny sliver of the car is visible in the mirror, that way I can be sure I'm not missing anything.
  - stephenr 10y ago
    see the diagram on http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-car/ http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-ca... What you do is "normal". The suggestion from the comment I replied to is referring to the "new" way referenced on the linked page, where the mirrors are set wider.
sbov 10y ago
I like to be able to see a tiny sliver of my car. This way I always know how they're adjusted. Without being able to see that piece of the car, they might be adjusted too far out and I have no easy way to tell.
- gfodor 10y ago
  well, if you see a sliver of your car, you know how they're adjusted: wrong :) seriously though, it's really easy to tell, just watch a car that is about to pass you transition across your mirrors into your peripheral vision. if there are any blind spots or periods where the car is highly visible in more than one visual source (mirror or peripheral vision) then you are seeing less than you are able to. i'm pretty sure there is no free lunch here -- if you are still able to see your car, then there is likely overlap between your rear view and your side mirror's view frustum, not to mention there is unused visual field in the side mirror anyway, so you're sacrificing visibility in your side mirror. (you should still check for the presence of a car by looking behind you if possible, or cross checking your peripheral vision with your mirrors, but it's nice to know that you don't have any blind spots if you fail to do so.)
  - stephenr 10y ago
    You keep repeating this theory that the 'new' way for adjusting mirrors solves all problems, and simply ignore that it introduces different blind spots that small vehicles (such as motorbikes or bicycles) can disappear into. Given that the article is about cyclist safety, and how it's improved by training drivers to look behind them in their blind spot, I find the irony of you suggesting this 'new' method to be amazing.
tremon 10y ago
if they are adjusted correctly, cars approaching on either side of your vehicle will pass from the rear view, to the side mirror, into your peripheral vision with no gap of visibility. That's incorrect. Unless you have an extremely wide (curved) side mirror, there always is a gap between the edge of the mirror and your peripheral vision. That gap is usually not large enough for a car to completely disappear (the nose of the car enters your peripheral vision before the rear end leaves the mirror), but smaller items may still disappear.

by gfodor 10y ago

stephenr 10y ago

I've read about this supposed "solution" and the greatest thing I took away was that it trades side-of-car blind spots (which I can resolve by turning my head) for rear-of-car blind spots, which I can do nothing about, as my head doesn't rotate 180º.

hx87 10y ago
> for rear-of-car blind spots How so? The only possible issue I can see about that solution is that you can't see your own car in the side mirrors and thus judging relative position is slightly more difficult. Of course, the best solution is aspherical mirrors, but for some reason they're not allowed in the USA.
- stephenr 10y ago
  http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-car/ http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-ca...
  - hx87 10y ago
    The diagram in that article underestimates the viewing angle of the various mirrors in the car--my rear view mirror has far more than 90 degrees FOV, and when my side view mirrors are adjusted the "new" way I am just barely unable to see the side of my car.
jstanley 10y ago
You can't see behind your car using your wing mirrors, you need to use the rear-view mirror. Even if you have the wing mirrors pointing behind your car, the sides of the car obscure your view. I like to adjust the wing mirrors so that a tiny sliver of the car is visible in the mirror, that way I can be sure I'm not missing anything.
- stephenr 10y ago
  see the diagram on http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-car/ http://www.driveandstayalive.com/setting-exterior-mirrors-ca... What you do is "normal". The suggestion from the comment I replied to is referring to the "new" way referenced on the linked page, where the mirrors are set wider.

sbov 10y ago

I like to be able to see a tiny sliver of my car. This way I always know how they're adjusted. Without being able to see that piece of the car, they might be adjusted too far out and I have no easy way to tell.

gfodor 10y ago
well, if you see a sliver of your car, you know how they're adjusted: wrong :) seriously though, it's really easy to tell, just watch a car that is about to pass you transition across your mirrors into your peripheral vision. if there are any blind spots or periods where the car is highly visible in more than one visual source (mirror or peripheral vision) then you are seeing less than you are able to. i'm pretty sure there is no free lunch here -- if you are still able to see your car, then there is likely overlap between your rear view and your side mirror's view frustum, not to mention there is unused visual field in the side mirror anyway, so you're sacrificing visibility in your side mirror. (you should still check for the presence of a car by looking behind you if possible, or cross checking your peripheral vision with your mirrors, but it's nice to know that you don't have any blind spots if you fail to do so.)
- stephenr 10y ago
  You keep repeating this theory that the 'new' way for adjusting mirrors solves all problems, and simply ignore that it introduces different blind spots that small vehicles (such as motorbikes or bicycles) can disappear into. Given that the article is about cyclist safety, and how it's improved by training drivers to look behind them in their blind spot, I find the irony of you suggesting this 'new' method to be amazing.

tremon 10y ago

if they are adjusted correctly, cars approaching on either side of your vehicle will pass from the rear view, to the side mirror, into your peripheral vision with no gap of visibility. That's incorrect. Unless you have an extremely wide (curved) side mirror, there always is a gap between the edge of the mirror and your peripheral vision. That gap is usually not large enough for a car to completely disappear (the nose of the car enters your peripheral vision before the rear end leaves the mirror), but smaller items may still disappear.