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This method requires you to also lean into the mirror to see more towards the side of the car. It is ridiculous, because the side mirrors should give you a far

This method requires you to also lean into the mirror to see more towards the side of the car. It is ridiculous, because the side mirrors should give you a far away view, and then you look to the side to make sure that closeby there is nothing either. You only have to turn your head. Now this method in the article would make you lean into mirror to get behind you, then you go back to normal position and look in the mirror, then you look to the side. Someone thinks they have found a hack to mirrors and driving, but they are just making it more dangerous especially by spreading this new interesting way. The message still stands that a lot of drivers could have avoided hitting someone if they had used their mirrors and looked to the side. Accidents however often happen because of distraction causing a driver not to do what they normally would do.

ams6110 8y ago
I have my mirrors set as TFA describes. I dislike the surprise of having a clear view in the mirror and then noticing a vehicle is actually next to you but behind the cutoff of peripheral vision. That said, I still turn my head and check before changing lanes. Belt and suspenders.
pdonis 8y ago
> This method requires you to also lean into the mirror to see more towards the side of the car. You don't need to move your head at all to see a car at any point while it is coming up behind you and passing you: that's the whole point of adjusting your mirrors the way the article describes. As the article notes, you should still turn your head before making a maneuver like changing lanes. But because your mirrors are giving you more coverage, the head turning doesn't need to be as extreme.
- danjayh 8y ago
  Exactly. The article doesn't state it quite so clearly, but any mirror showing space that can't be occupied by another vehicle is wasted mirror. Turn them out further.
  - m1n1 8y ago
    Disagree, see my reply to your parent.
- m1n1 8y ago
  > You don't need to move your head at all to see a car... But what I'm saying is the article's suggestion doesn't allow me to see something smaller like a motorcycle with the mirrors, and either I'd have to turn my head even further to see it with the mirrors in suggested position to check that area or -- worse yet -- I can't physically see that spot without the aid of a mirror.
  - pdonis 8y ago
    > the article's suggestion doesn't allow me to see something smaller like a motorcycle with the mirrors In other words, you now have some amount of "blind spot" for motorcycles--but only motorcycles. Whereas, with the mirrors adjusted further in, you still have some blind spot for motorcycles--though perhaps less than with them adjusted further out--but you also now have a blind spot for cars, which you don't have with the mirrors adjusted further out. And cars are much more common than motorcycles, so adjusting the mirrors further out is a net gain in how many vehicles you can see with the mirrors. An even better solution is cameras like the ones that some higher end vehicles now have for changing lanes. In the ones I've seen, when you turn on your turn signal, your vehicle's screen (the one that shows the backup camera image when you're in reverse) shows a view of everything on that side of your vehicle. No blind spot for anything. Eventually I'm hoping this will become mainstream (the way backup cameras are getting to be).
    - ummonk 8y ago
      You can turn your head and check the blind spot on your side. You can’t turn your head and check the motorcycle blind spot at the back. A large checkable blind spot (which you always check) is far preferable to a small uncheckable blind spot.
      - nostrademons 8y ago
        At least on my car (09 Honda Fit), there isn't one of those. A motorcycle coming from the back enters the side mirror field of view before it leaves the rear mirror field of view.

ams6110 8y ago

I have my mirrors set as TFA describes. I dislike the surprise of having a clear view in the mirror and then noticing a vehicle is actually next to you but behind the cutoff of peripheral vision. That said, I still turn my head and check before changing lanes. Belt and suspenders.

pdonis 8y ago

> This method requires you to also lean into the mirror to see more towards the side of the car. You don't need to move your head at all to see a car at any point while it is coming up behind you and passing you: that's the whole point of adjusting your mirrors the way the article describes. As the article notes, you should still turn your head before making a maneuver like changing lanes. But because your mirrors are giving you more coverage, the head turning doesn't need to be as extreme.

danjayh 8y ago
Exactly. The article doesn't state it quite so clearly, but any mirror showing space that can't be occupied by another vehicle is wasted mirror. Turn them out further.
- m1n1 8y ago
  Disagree, see my reply to your parent.
m1n1 8y ago
> You don't need to move your head at all to see a car... But what I'm saying is the article's suggestion doesn't allow me to see something smaller like a motorcycle with the mirrors, and either I'd have to turn my head even further to see it with the mirrors in suggested position to check that area or -- worse yet -- I can't physically see that spot without the aid of a mirror.
- pdonis 8y ago
  > the article's suggestion doesn't allow me to see something smaller like a motorcycle with the mirrors In other words, you now have some amount of "blind spot" for motorcycles--but only motorcycles. Whereas, with the mirrors adjusted further in, you still have some blind spot for motorcycles--though perhaps less than with them adjusted further out--but you also now have a blind spot for cars, which you don't have with the mirrors adjusted further out. And cars are much more common than motorcycles, so adjusting the mirrors further out is a net gain in how many vehicles you can see with the mirrors. An even better solution is cameras like the ones that some higher end vehicles now have for changing lanes. In the ones I've seen, when you turn on your turn signal, your vehicle's screen (the one that shows the backup camera image when you're in reverse) shows a view of everything on that side of your vehicle. No blind spot for anything. Eventually I'm hoping this will become mainstream (the way backup cameras are getting to be).
  - ummonk 8y ago
    You can turn your head and check the blind spot on your side. You can’t turn your head and check the motorcycle blind spot at the back. A large checkable blind spot (which you always check) is far preferable to a small uncheckable blind spot.
    - nostrademons 8y ago
      At least on my car (09 Honda Fit), there isn't one of those. A motorcycle coming from the back enters the side mirror field of view before it leaves the rear mirror field of view.