Society of Automotive Engineers' answer to more engineering.
October 31, 2016 6:01 PM Subscribe
How to Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots. "For the past few years, various carmakers have been offering blind-spot detection systems for their cars’ side mirrors. Often complex, these systems employ cameras or radar to scan the adjoining lanes for vehicles that may have disappeared from view. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) published a paper in 1995 suggesting how outside mirrors could be adjusted to eliminate blind spots."
Blind Zone Accidents and How to Prevent Them gives more detail and a picture of how you set the mirrors properly.
Blind Zone Accidents and How to Prevent Them gives more detail and a picture of how you set the mirrors properly.
People can't even manage blinkers or slowing down to let other drivers merge, you really expect them to adjust their mirrors?
posted by tobascodagama at 6:17 PM on October 31, 2016 [12 favorites]
posted by tobascodagama at 6:17 PM on October 31, 2016 [12 favorites]
If you're not looking over your left (outside of the UK) shoulder to check your blind spot when you change lanes or merge, in addition to consulting your mirrors, you're doing it wrong.
If you're backing up without leaning over and actually turning around in the seat and looking behind your vehicle, you shouldn't be backing up. *
* does not apply if there's no rear window.
Engineering will not solve the problem of your lack of situational awareness behind the wheel. I'm tired of attending funerals for friends who were killed by people who thought that their driver's license is a right and not a responsibility.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:23 PM on October 31, 2016 [15 favorites]
If you're backing up without leaning over and actually turning around in the seat and looking behind your vehicle, you shouldn't be backing up. *
* does not apply if there's no rear window.
Engineering will not solve the problem of your lack of situational awareness behind the wheel. I'm tired of attending funerals for friends who were killed by people who thought that their driver's license is a right and not a responsibility.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:23 PM on October 31, 2016 [15 favorites]
Here's CarTalk's method, a little easier to understand than the FPP links, I think. It works. Bottom line: you should not see your own car in the driver's side mirror.
posted by kozad at 6:24 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by kozad at 6:24 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
As the engineers in the article actually say:
Properly adjusted mirrors, frequent checking, looking over your shoulder to be extra sure, and moving your seat will all help to reduce the blind spots and improve safety in your vehicle.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:24 PM on October 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
Properly adjusted mirrors, frequent checking, looking over your shoulder to be extra sure, and moving your seat will all help to reduce the blind spots and improve safety in your vehicle.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:24 PM on October 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
The reason for including the car in the mirror adjustment is so you know that the mirror is adjusted consistently relative to a fixed location. If you can't see your car, you won't know what the mirror is aimed at, and so blindly trusting the mirrors could lead to problems if someone bumped it since you last made an adjustment. Unless you have a physical limitation that prevents you from looking over your shoulder, that's what you should always be doing. Feel free to adjust your mirrors if it helps, but still always look in your blind spot.
People can't even manage blinkers or slowing down to let other drivers merge
Slowing down to let someone merge is generally a bad idea. It is the responsibility of the merging car to adjust its speed and yield if necessary. Slowing down on a highway to let someone merge is a great way to get rear-ended, cause panicked braking behind you, cause a pile-up, and ensure that nobody gets to merge anytime soon.
posted by tempestuoso at 6:29 PM on October 31, 2016 [25 favorites]
People can't even manage blinkers or slowing down to let other drivers merge
Slowing down to let someone merge is generally a bad idea. It is the responsibility of the merging car to adjust its speed and yield if necessary. Slowing down on a highway to let someone merge is a great way to get rear-ended, cause panicked braking behind you, cause a pile-up, and ensure that nobody gets to merge anytime soon.
posted by tempestuoso at 6:29 PM on October 31, 2016 [25 favorites]
> That is a basic thing from drivers ed in high school.
Nope! At least, not the drivers ed I took in high school, in the 80s.
My mirrors are now properly adjusted, but I will never trust that there is no blind spot (just as I will never trust other drivers around me), so yes of course I still shoulder-check.
posted by rtha at 6:30 PM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
Nope! At least, not the drivers ed I took in high school, in the 80s.
My mirrors are now properly adjusted, but I will never trust that there is no blind spot (just as I will never trust other drivers around me), so yes of course I still shoulder-check.
posted by rtha at 6:30 PM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
I've been over this in other forums. Yes you can adjust your mirrors to avoid your blind spot. But it's way too finicky and confusing for most people. So they tell you to turn your head and check. It's kind of like labeling things "flammable", which is incorrect, but less confusing than the correct "inflammable".
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 6:32 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 6:32 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
the 80s have a lot to answer for tbh
posted by ryanrs at 6:34 PM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 6:34 PM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
Looking at both the diagrams there's still a blindspot - it's just now between the coverage of both mirrors - it's just not one big enough for a car to fit in, but depending on how the mirrors are set up and what type of mirrors you have, a bicycle or motorbike might slip in there, and that blindspot is one that can't easily be head checked making it even more dangerous. I don't think I would be able to drive comfortably knowing that.
posted by xdvesper at 6:39 PM on October 31, 2016
posted by xdvesper at 6:39 PM on October 31, 2016
I dislike this method because while a car that is relatively motionless in your blind spot can be seen, cars passing through your blind spot appear to zoom up so quickly as to be quite startling. This is because the mirror is focused on a narrow wedge of visual space, instead on a longer lane behind you. So one minute the blind spot is empty, and in a flash, yikes! Car there! It's a decent static solution, but less good in motion.
Mr. Dash follows this method (though he is still uncomfortable changing lanes).
And every time we switch drivers, the new driver has to readjust the mirrors.
posted by Dashy at 6:40 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Mr. Dash follows this method (though he is still uncomfortable changing lanes).
And every time we switch drivers, the new driver has to readjust the mirrors.
posted by Dashy at 6:40 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
For the past few years, various carmakers have been offering blind-spot detection systems for their cars’ side mirrors. Often complex, these systems employ cameras or radar to scan the adjoining lanes for vehicles that may have disappeared from view.
"Normal people don't understand this concept; they believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet."
--Scott Adams
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:52 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
"Normal people don't understand this concept; they believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet."
--Scott Adams
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:52 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
See, I think it's brilliant in motion. The vast majority of my driving is done on freeways, and I love being able to see cars on either side in my rear view mirror and then then appear in my side view and then there they are next to me. I rarely feel that "oh shit where did that car come from!" sense any more. It did take some getting used to, but now on the rare occasions when I drive someone else's car and their mirrors aren't adjusted like this I feel blind.
posted by rtha at 6:54 PM on October 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by rtha at 6:54 PM on October 31, 2016 [6 favorites]
Yeah, I mostly find this useful on freeways, where there is little relative motion between vehicles.
posted by indubitable at 6:57 PM on October 31, 2016
posted by indubitable at 6:57 PM on October 31, 2016
Yeah, being a bit of an odd size, I've never had mirrors that really did a great job, even though I try to get them pretty well adjusted. But the place where blind spot monitoring really shines is in situations where the work load is too high to really do an adequate job of monitoring your surroundings. In situations like switching lanes on a many-lane highway, or exiting a parking spot, the information vision is constrained, and one has to keep abreast of substantially more space than one can see at once. Mirrors help here, but it's really handy to get an alert that something is going on in a place where one might not be looking at the moment.
posted by wotsac at 7:00 PM on October 31, 2016
posted by wotsac at 7:00 PM on October 31, 2016
I dunno. For me, being able to see a sliver of my own car gives me a reference point that helps me judge the relative positions of whatever else is in the mirror. I'm generally tracking what's going on in all three of my mirrors if I'm on the highway, so it's very rare that something comes out of my blind spot unexpectedly—I saw it go in when it passed out of the rear view, so I knew it was there. And I always shoulder check, reflexively—it provides secondary verification and gives me a better idea of the relative positions of everything than I can get by looking in a mirror. Maybe it's just me, but when I see a car directly I feel much more secure about its exact location and relative velocity than when I only see it reflected in a side mirror.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 7:01 PM on October 31, 2016 [23 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 7:01 PM on October 31, 2016 [23 favorites]
The one thing I don't like about my car is a chunk of blind spot on the rear passenger's side that I'm constantly paranoid about - which I guess is a good thing (I rode motorcycles for almost 10 years when I was younger which taught me to assume nothing, utterly distrust everyone else on the road, and develop an extremely healthy sense of self-preservation).
I'm willing to try this method, but as others have said there's no substitute for staying aware and doing frequent head-turning checks to bolster whatever limited information your mirrors are providing.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:03 PM on October 31, 2016
I'm willing to try this method, but as others have said there's no substitute for staying aware and doing frequent head-turning checks to bolster whatever limited information your mirrors are providing.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:03 PM on October 31, 2016
I should add that blind spot monitoring has come up hand and hand with much more constrained lines of site in modern cars, due to various safety measures to protect the occupant (i.e. wider A and C pillars, higher belt lines).
posted by wotsac at 7:06 PM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by wotsac at 7:06 PM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
exiting a parking spot
I've found that backing into parking spaces makes exit a lot easier, since you have much broader visibility out the front of your vehicle.
posted by indubitable at 7:07 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
I've found that backing into parking spaces makes exit a lot easier, since you have much broader visibility out the front of your vehicle.
posted by indubitable at 7:07 PM on October 31, 2016 [5 favorites]
backing into parking spaces
Absolutely agree; never seen anyone get t-boned backing into a parking space.
Also, nobody mentions convex mirrors here. I have always had them on my big rigs, and find them just as useful on cars too. I actually put some glue on spots on the inside of my minivan at the end of the dash. I've got more than 180 degrees of vision and they stay dry too.
posted by Alter Cocker at 7:27 PM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
Absolutely agree; never seen anyone get t-boned backing into a parking space.
Also, nobody mentions convex mirrors here. I have always had them on my big rigs, and find them just as useful on cars too. I actually put some glue on spots on the inside of my minivan at the end of the dash. I've got more than 180 degrees of vision and they stay dry too.
posted by Alter Cocker at 7:27 PM on October 31, 2016 [7 favorites]
Maybe it's a generational thing, but we were taught at driver's ed to tilt your mirrors so you saw the side of your car so that's what I'd always done; with judicious shoulder checking it seemed to work out fine. But, I read about this technique a year or two ago, applied it to my car and the improvement is... eye-opening. You suddenly have a wide-screen view behind you, seeing places where once you could never see, and as others have said it's especially helpful on the highway. An easy power-up for the highways around Toronto that are like Spartacus meets Hot Dog The Movie, where people could be coming at you from any angle.
posted by Flashman at 7:31 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Flashman at 7:31 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yeah, in driver's ed they taught us to aim the mirrors such that you saw a smidge of the back corner of your car, for the frame of reference. My dad the Highway Patrolman said screw that, aim 'em so you can see who's in your blindspot, so that's how we did it.
We were reliable seatbelters long, long before it became the law, too, even when it was just those crappy lap belts, which probably has to do with him being the first responder on so many wrecks.
posted by notyou at 7:39 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
We were reliable seatbelters long, long before it became the law, too, even when it was just those crappy lap belts, which probably has to do with him being the first responder on so many wrecks.
posted by notyou at 7:39 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I find these impossible. You have to have a car already in place behind you to properly set your mirrors? What if you're parked in a parking lot, or in your driveway?
Maybe I'm dumber (or pickier?) than most but I always find setting my mirrors to be extraordinarily difficult.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:49 PM on October 31, 2016
Maybe I'm dumber (or pickier?) than most but I always find setting my mirrors to be extraordinarily difficult.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 7:49 PM on October 31, 2016
I find these impossible. You have to have a car already in place behind you to properly set your mirrors? What if you're parked in a parking lot, or in your driveway?
The best way is to hold a hand mirror out of the driver's side window and constantly wiggle it around while driving.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:59 PM on October 31, 2016 [8 favorites]
"Normal people don't understand this concept; they believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet."
--Scott Adams
Didn't we just have a Meta about reading the room?
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:01 PM on October 31, 2016 [12 favorites]
--Scott Adams
Didn't we just have a Meta about reading the room?
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:01 PM on October 31, 2016 [12 favorites]
I don't understand why all new cars don't just include blind spot mirrors in addition to the regular side mirrors. These have been endlessly useful for me.
posted by a strong female character at 8:13 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by a strong female character at 8:13 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
If you're not looking over your left (outside of the UK) shoulder to check your blind spot
My car's door frame is right there. Damn my car is annoying.
posted by small_ruminant at 8:19 PM on October 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
My car's door frame is right there. Damn my car is annoying.
posted by small_ruminant at 8:19 PM on October 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
Not all of them, but it's certainly a thing on some of them, I know I looked at Hondas recently and they had this weird curve to the outside of the side mirrors.
posted by indubitable at 8:21 PM on October 31, 2016
posted by indubitable at 8:21 PM on October 31, 2016
I've given up and just swivel my head to look left and right over the shoulders.
I have had a number of cars from the late '60s and early '70s, and the greenhouses and rear-view mirrors were such you knew if you could change lanes at a glance without having to bother with side mirrors. I have had a number of cars from the mid-00's on, where you can micro-adjust the side mirrors, and the rear-view mirror is useless because B and C columns, and you give up micro-adjusting to just fucking look.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:33 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I have had a number of cars from the late '60s and early '70s, and the greenhouses and rear-view mirrors were such you knew if you could change lanes at a glance without having to bother with side mirrors. I have had a number of cars from the mid-00's on, where you can micro-adjust the side mirrors, and the rear-view mirror is useless because B and C columns, and you give up micro-adjusting to just fucking look.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:33 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Didn't we just have a Meta about reading the room?
Yeah, but...in a mirror?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:40 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah, but...in a mirror?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:40 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
The first comment is from "Ken M" so I thought that was going to be the secret reason this link was posted.
posted by user92371 at 8:44 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by user92371 at 8:44 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
I've done this for a few years now and find it both simple and brilliant, although I do end up fine tuning the mirrors while driving. As a car leaves the rear view mirror it should slide into the side view mirror. That's all it takes.
HOWEVER, people seem to think this is a replacement for looking over your shoulder and it's not. It is a way of checking to see if it's worth looking over your shoulder, so your head isn't swiveling back and forth in heavy traffic. Usually it means you only have to take your eyes off the road once to shift lanes.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:47 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
HOWEVER, people seem to think this is a replacement for looking over your shoulder and it's not. It is a way of checking to see if it's worth looking over your shoulder, so your head isn't swiveling back and forth in heavy traffic. Usually it means you only have to take your eyes off the road once to shift lanes.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:47 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I hate those collisions alarms, I can always tell when someone has one They will change lanes without so much as a glance and then if they're about to hit someone and it starts beeping they'll wildly overreact and swerve the other way.
posted by fshgrl at 9:02 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 9:02 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
On most small cars these days, it is possible to adjust the mirrors such that there is no blind spot, aside from directly behind you where a child could be obscured by the trunk. I've always adjusted my mirrors to eliminate blind spots, though it got much easier when I learned the lean left and adjust so the left mirror barely shows the corner of the car, then lean right and adjust the right mirror the same method. I now do that any time I get in a car out of habit. (I don't own one any more, so I'm always changing mirrors any time I drive)
It's freaking fantastic when done correctly, since it cuts the time you aren't looking at the road ahead more than half when changing lanes. Given that here in Miami frequent lane changes are essential to avoid adding 25% to your trip time, properly adjusted mirrors are a necessary safety measure.
The only downside is that not craning your neck cab make passengers uncomfortable since most of them are unaware it is possible to completely eliminate the blind spots on most cars.
That said, in the past when I've owned cars where it isn't possible to eliminate them through adjustment, I've just spent the $2 on a set of blind spot mirrors and happily done it that way. It's not as good, though, since the image is so damn tiny it's easier to miss motorcycles and such. An extra 10th of a second checking the mirror solves that, though. It's just annoying when you're used to seeing everything go seamlessly from peripheral vision to side view mirror to rear view mirror.
The other advantage to it is being able to see partly into the second lane over, which is a godsend on roads where people often change multiple lanes at once, not to mention the more common case of someone trying to change lanes at the same time you are.
The only downside to me is that being out of the habit of craning one's neck makes it much easier to space out and forget to turn around when backing in a car without a rear view camera.
As far as blind spot monitors go, I think they are freaking awesome since the place I live now has a completely blind driveway and is on a road with a 40mph speed limit. While I don't rely on it alone, it is damn nice to have the extra warning when trying to back out of the driveway rather than relying on getting out to check for a break in traffic and then listening(!) to make sure nothing was missed once back in the car and reversing.
posted by wierdo at 9:25 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's freaking fantastic when done correctly, since it cuts the time you aren't looking at the road ahead more than half when changing lanes. Given that here in Miami frequent lane changes are essential to avoid adding 25% to your trip time, properly adjusted mirrors are a necessary safety measure.
The only downside is that not craning your neck cab make passengers uncomfortable since most of them are unaware it is possible to completely eliminate the blind spots on most cars.
That said, in the past when I've owned cars where it isn't possible to eliminate them through adjustment, I've just spent the $2 on a set of blind spot mirrors and happily done it that way. It's not as good, though, since the image is so damn tiny it's easier to miss motorcycles and such. An extra 10th of a second checking the mirror solves that, though. It's just annoying when you're used to seeing everything go seamlessly from peripheral vision to side view mirror to rear view mirror.
The other advantage to it is being able to see partly into the second lane over, which is a godsend on roads where people often change multiple lanes at once, not to mention the more common case of someone trying to change lanes at the same time you are.
The only downside to me is that being out of the habit of craning one's neck makes it much easier to space out and forget to turn around when backing in a car without a rear view camera.
As far as blind spot monitors go, I think they are freaking awesome since the place I live now has a completely blind driveway and is on a road with a 40mph speed limit. While I don't rely on it alone, it is damn nice to have the extra warning when trying to back out of the driveway rather than relying on getting out to check for a break in traffic and then listening(!) to make sure nothing was missed once back in the car and reversing.
posted by wierdo at 9:25 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Slowing down to let someone merge is generally a bad idea. It is the responsibility of the merging car to adjust its speed and yield if necessary.
Yeah, well considering how many times I've almost been hit because people speedup when merging into my lane (hello NoVa!), I usually move into another lane before a merge lane just so I didn't have to deal with dumbass people giving me a heartattack.
posted by littlesq at 9:27 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yeah, well considering how many times I've almost been hit because people speedup when merging into my lane (hello NoVa!), I usually move into another lane before a merge lane just so I didn't have to deal with dumbass people giving me a heartattack.
posted by littlesq at 9:27 PM on October 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
Seems to me that the natural question becomes whether, on a car with an electronic blind-spot monitoring system, you are now better off adjusting your mirrors differently, deliberately accepting a small visual blind-spot that the electronics cover in exchange for, perhaps, better visibility farther back.
posted by kickingtheground at 9:42 PM on October 31, 2016
posted by kickingtheground at 9:42 PM on October 31, 2016
I should add that blind spot monitoring has come up hand and hand with much more constrained lines of site in modern cars, due to various safety measures to protect the occupant (i.e. wider A and C pillars, higher belt lines).
My wife's new car is the worst for this.
I firmly believe it was designed with a rearview camera in mind, and since we bought the cheap base model without one, it is a real bear to backup, since the the high rear deck and large c-pillars block a lot of the view, even when twisted all the way round in the seat.
It's a problem that will just get worse when backup cameras are mandatory.
posted by madajb at 10:13 PM on October 31, 2016
My wife's new car is the worst for this.
I firmly believe it was designed with a rearview camera in mind, and since we bought the cheap base model without one, it is a real bear to backup, since the the high rear deck and large c-pillars block a lot of the view, even when twisted all the way round in the seat.
It's a problem that will just get worse when backup cameras are mandatory.
posted by madajb at 10:13 PM on October 31, 2016
A cop taught me this in a get-points-off-your-license class (hey, I was like 18). He also taught me you don't legally need to use your turn signal to switch lanes, hell yeah New Jersey (that might not be true, IDK).
posted by so fucking future at 10:35 PM on October 31, 2016
posted by so fucking future at 10:35 PM on October 31, 2016
The mirror adjustment makes checking over your shoulder pretty much unnecessary during the day or in very well-lit conditions but I still find it necessary at night because there is a point where the car pulling up along side you will have its headlights up past where you can see in your side mirror but not so far forward that you can see it in your peripheral vision, and while the rear half of the car is still in your side mirror it can be quite hard to pick up quickly at night.
But even in poor lighting conditions it does indeed at least make it so you know when its not worth checking over your shoulder because somebody is definitely there. And it still helps with your so-called blind spot at night, I just wouldn't be comfortable making a bunch of lane changes without double checking over-the-shoulder.
posted by Justinian at 10:38 PM on October 31, 2016
But even in poor lighting conditions it does indeed at least make it so you know when its not worth checking over your shoulder because somebody is definitely there. And it still helps with your so-called blind spot at night, I just wouldn't be comfortable making a bunch of lane changes without double checking over-the-shoulder.
posted by Justinian at 10:38 PM on October 31, 2016
Hyundai has blind spot mirrors in the upper corner of the driver's side rvm.
posted by brujita at 10:38 PM on October 31, 2016
posted by brujita at 10:38 PM on October 31, 2016
The biggest problem I've had with adjusting the mirrors for the wide view is that they turn into focused lenses that direct the headlights of every car behind you directly into your eyes. I'd rather swivel a bit than deal with losing all vision entirely.
posted by Lykosidae at 10:41 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Lykosidae at 10:41 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Tell Me No Lies has it. Car in other lane should leave rear view mirror, for a brief moment be present in side view and rear view mirrors. Then visible out your side window.
I also was incorrectly taught mirror placement in the 80s.
posted by persona au gratin at 11:19 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I also was incorrectly taught mirror placement in the 80s.
posted by persona au gratin at 11:19 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
Did anyone use these extra wide rear view mirrors? A friend had one in high school when I was growing up. I never understood why they never became standard, or perhaps it's the same reason I don't own one now - too dorky looking.
Also, auto-dimming rearview mirrors are awesome, and I can't stand the normal type anymore with their loose adjustments and random reflections.
posted by meowzilla at 11:20 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Also, auto-dimming rearview mirrors are awesome, and I can't stand the normal type anymore with their loose adjustments and random reflections.
posted by meowzilla at 11:20 PM on October 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Though another driver's ed instructor taught us (in health class) that pizza was the ultimate health food because it had all the food groups.
posted by persona au gratin at 11:24 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by persona au gratin at 11:24 PM on October 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
"Normal people don't understand this concept; they believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet."
--Scott Adams
Wise words. Scott has of course added a considerable number of features to himself this year, but has had enough features since as early as 2011.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:45 PM on October 31, 2016
--Scott Adams
Wise words. Scott has of course added a considerable number of features to himself this year, but has had enough features since as early as 2011.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:45 PM on October 31, 2016
For the past few years, various carmakers have been offering blind-spot detection systems for their cars’ side mirrors. Often complex, these systems employ cameras or radar to scan the adjoining lanes for vehicles that may have disappeared from view.
One more thing that suddenly fails after you start to depend on it.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 12:08 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
One more thing that suddenly fails after you start to depend on it.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 12:08 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Did anyone use these extra wide rear view mirrors?
I was going to mention those - I always clip one on and it just seems to open up the whole rear of the car, they're totally great. You have the security of seeing your car's rear edges fully but can also adjust your side mirrors the correct way.
posted by Coda Tronca at 12:40 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I was going to mention those - I always clip one on and it just seems to open up the whole rear of the car, they're totally great. You have the security of seeing your car's rear edges fully but can also adjust your side mirrors the correct way.
posted by Coda Tronca at 12:40 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
On my sport ute (for occasionally towing a boat. Don't hate me) the previous owner put 2" circular convex lenses on the inner side of the side mirrors. It adds enough 'overview' to the picture that just about anything like a close moving vehicle immediately catches the eye. I'm seldom surprised from the sides or back.
When i drive my wife's car... I really miss them, and find that I have to look over the shoulder more.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:11 AM on November 1, 2016
When i drive my wife's car... I really miss them, and find that I have to look over the shoulder more.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:11 AM on November 1, 2016
I've had my side mirrors turned out for blind spots for about 7 years and I still check over my shoulders. So, apparently I don't exactly trust it 100%, but I get much greater situational awareness in general. My shoulder check rarely-if-ever catches anything I don't already know about. All in all it's quirky and super nerdy.
I was taught by no fewer than four driving teachers, mostly friends, that they should point essentially down the side of the car. I spent so much attention over the years before I turned them out, getting that sightline parallel with the side panels of my car. It had to be right. It could be unsafe otherwise.
posted by rhizome at 2:08 AM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I was taught by no fewer than four driving teachers, mostly friends, that they should point essentially down the side of the car. I spent so much attention over the years before I turned them out, getting that sightline parallel with the side panels of my car. It had to be right. It could be unsafe otherwise.
posted by rhizome at 2:08 AM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Wait, people don't know that you're not supposed to see your own car from the side mirrors? That is a basic thing from drivers ed in high school.
Stop pointing your mirrors at your own car. You already know what it looks like.
Why does support for this method of mirror adjustment always seem to take such a smug and derisive tone?
posted by fairmettle at 2:11 AM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Stop pointing your mirrors at your own car. You already know what it looks like.
Why does support for this method of mirror adjustment always seem to take such a smug and derisive tone?
posted by fairmettle at 2:11 AM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
You definitely don't need the blind spot detection, but a nearside mirror that automatically angles down when you engage reverse (so you can see the curb and don't scrape your rear wheel's rim when parking) is lovely.
posted by Coda Tronca at 2:18 AM on November 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Coda Tronca at 2:18 AM on November 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
Driver training should equip you to drive all vehicles not just models fitted with aids to assist the lazy.
I was taught to set my mirrors so that I could see the side of my car by moving my head. This is just enough to spot cyclists who are close to you. And always turn round and look behind when reversing. I was also taught to judge the distance from the kerb by evaluating front and rear vanishing points against the car body.
Cars are dangerous and the most important driver's skill is observation (from which comes judgement), if you're not good at observation you are not fit to drive.
posted by epo at 2:29 AM on November 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
I was taught to set my mirrors so that I could see the side of my car by moving my head. This is just enough to spot cyclists who are close to you. And always turn round and look behind when reversing. I was also taught to judge the distance from the kerb by evaluating front and rear vanishing points against the car body.
Cars are dangerous and the most important driver's skill is observation (from which comes judgement), if you're not good at observation you are not fit to drive.
posted by epo at 2:29 AM on November 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
I learned this blind-spot-eliminating method here on MetaFilter some years ago, and it has made a big difference. As it was told, what you do is lean to your left until your head is almost touching the window, then adjust the left mirror so you can see the side of the car. Then you lean a similar amount to the right and adjust that mirror so you can see the side of the car. Minor adjustments from there will produce the continuous FOV described. If you have a big gap between your windshield-mirror view and a side-mirror view, you have one of them adjusted wrong.
Depending on the size of your side mirrors, you still have to turn your head. On multilane roads, no mirror adjustment will save you from the guy two lanes over who decides to move into the lane you're changing into at the same time.
Even if you live in some benighted place that hasn't made it illegal to change lanes without signaling, signal anyway. Surprising other drivers is a terrific way to piss them off or cause an accident.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:15 AM on November 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
Depending on the size of your side mirrors, you still have to turn your head. On multilane roads, no mirror adjustment will save you from the guy two lanes over who decides to move into the lane you're changing into at the same time.
Even if you live in some benighted place that hasn't made it illegal to change lanes without signaling, signal anyway. Surprising other drivers is a terrific way to piss them off or cause an accident.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:15 AM on November 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
And boo to the car designers shrinking rear windows in pursuit of some 'crossover' styling bullshit.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:19 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:19 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
And every time we switch drivers, the new driver has to readjust the mirrors.
YES YES JESUS H. CHRIST THAT IS EXACTLY CORRECT WHEN A NEW PERSON IS BEHIND THE WHEEL THE FIRST THING S/HE DOES IS SET UP THE GOD DAMN CAR FOR HIM/HERSELF.
posted by disconnect at 5:09 AM on November 1, 2016 [12 favorites]
YES YES JESUS H. CHRIST THAT IS EXACTLY CORRECT WHEN A NEW PERSON IS BEHIND THE WHEEL THE FIRST THING S/HE DOES IS SET UP THE GOD DAMN CAR FOR HIM/HERSELF.
posted by disconnect at 5:09 AM on November 1, 2016 [12 favorites]
I neglected to mention that Mr. Dash and I are almost exactly the same height.
posted by Dashy at 5:43 AM on November 1, 2016
posted by Dashy at 5:43 AM on November 1, 2016
I've been using this method since I first heard about it on Car Talk years ago and it works great. If doe right you can watch an approaching car move seamlessly from the side mirror to the center mirror. Not seeing your car in the side mirrors takes a little getting used to but there really is no need for it; as Click and Clack pointed out, you know where your car is already.
posted by TedW at 5:58 AM on November 1, 2016
posted by TedW at 5:58 AM on November 1, 2016
As it was told, what you do is lean to your left until your head is almost touching the window, then adjust the left mirror so you can see the side of the car. Then you lean a similar amount to the right and adjust that mirror so you can see the side of the car.
Yeah, this is the move. It kills me that the driver's side mirror on my car (2012 Hyundai Veloster) won't adjust out quiite far enough for my preference, and it has a biggish blind spot.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:00 AM on November 1, 2016
Yeah, this is the move. It kills me that the driver's side mirror on my car (2012 Hyundai Veloster) won't adjust out quiite far enough for my preference, and it has a biggish blind spot.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:00 AM on November 1, 2016
As I seemingly always do in any automotive conversation, I'll link to this discussion on human centered road design, previously on the blue: How Sweden's Roads Became the Safest in the World. Quoth TedW:
After reading it I now see examples everywhere where engineers and designers try to make people do things a certain way rather than designing for the way people normally act. Traffic and road design is full of great examples.posted by R a c h e l at 6:03 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
The diagram doesn't make sense to me. I'd have to actually get in a car and try this out, but this is the problem I can see. It seems like you'd still have to check your blindspots for cyclists/motorcyclists anyway, so what have you gained? It's possible I am visualising this wrong, like I said I'd have to actually get in a car and check. Maybe it's just the diagram which is poorly laid out.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:08 AM on November 1, 2016
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:08 AM on November 1, 2016
(outside of the UK)
Yeah, nah.
*backs away from another USA driving thread*
posted by pompomtom at 6:23 AM on November 1, 2016
Yeah, nah.
*backs away from another USA driving thread*
posted by pompomtom at 6:23 AM on November 1, 2016
It may be hard for these guys to believe but mirrors move under a power which seems to be their own. Or maybe it's people who do not know how to walk without smacking into stuff move them while you are parked. It is much more work to calibrate a mirror so that it is correctly aligned every time you get into your car than it is to quickly glance over there and see that you only have one little sliver of your rear end in your mirror. (The alignment taught me in Driver's Ed, BTW.)
It is no work at all to look at your blind spot before changing lanes. If you think your mirror is perfectly aligned and you do not need to check your blind spot you may be mistaken and you may cause an accident when your mirror is not aligned so well as you thought it was.
It seems like you'd still have to check your blindspots for cyclists/motorcyclists anyway
This is not full safety alert. I look for chupacabras in order to be more likely of spotting cyclists and other wheel-configuration-challenged vehicles. In my zipcode you have to have Evel Knievel level reckless abandon to go onto the streets on one of these but people do it.
posted by bukvich at 6:30 AM on November 1, 2016
It is no work at all to look at your blind spot before changing lanes. If you think your mirror is perfectly aligned and you do not need to check your blind spot you may be mistaken and you may cause an accident when your mirror is not aligned so well as you thought it was.
It seems like you'd still have to check your blindspots for cyclists/motorcyclists anyway
This is not full safety alert. I look for chupacabras in order to be more likely of spotting cyclists and other wheel-configuration-challenged vehicles. In my zipcode you have to have Evel Knievel level reckless abandon to go onto the streets on one of these but people do it.
posted by bukvich at 6:30 AM on November 1, 2016
In New York City traffic I find myself actually adjusting my outside and rear view mirrors based on my situation, road width, traffic speed, pedestrian and bike traffic density, and weather conditions on a regular basis. I have all the blind spot and rear cross traffic alert shit and it all seems to work flawlessly (my car shows a bright orange icon on the mirror if it detects something in the blind spots as well as beeping so your mirror visually "keeps track" of things as they move into the spot).
In a couple years and 33k miles with this car I've never had it lie to me or fail to detect something. Likewise for the rear cross-traffic beep alert. And the reason I know that is that I never rely on it. Nonetheless I have been impressed by its accuracy (2014 Mazda). And at least a few times it has given me a heads up in situations where I couldn't see a damn thing (it seems to rely on radar sensors so it sees well through driving rain and heavy fog). I was skeptical at first but have come to think it's a worthy development in safety design. Back in 2014 it also earned a substantial insurance discount that suggests to me that the statistical evidence is sufficiently established for it being A Good Thing, even considering the moral hazard of folks getting even lazier about actually paying attention.
The real truth is that it should be a very rare event indeed for any vehicle ever to be able to get IN to your blind spot before you become aware of its location and trajectory and speed. The worst risk occurs I think in high speed highway driving in very dense traffic with lots of merges. The scenario I've seen most often (and come close to myself most often) is when cars in the left and right lanes decide to move center simultaneously or witha a slight stagger -- they merge into each other rather than one holding a straight line, each basically in the other's opposite blind spot. That's where the alarm is super helpful because so few people signal.
Anyway yes, always look no matter what. But there is no substitute for being constantly aware of traffic around you as you go through it and attending closely to emerging vectors like entrances and slowing traffic ahead.
At least for those of us who love to drive, most of the time this mode of observational engagement IS THE FUN PART!
posted by spitbull at 6:51 AM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
In a couple years and 33k miles with this car I've never had it lie to me or fail to detect something. Likewise for the rear cross-traffic beep alert. And the reason I know that is that I never rely on it. Nonetheless I have been impressed by its accuracy (2014 Mazda). And at least a few times it has given me a heads up in situations where I couldn't see a damn thing (it seems to rely on radar sensors so it sees well through driving rain and heavy fog). I was skeptical at first but have come to think it's a worthy development in safety design. Back in 2014 it also earned a substantial insurance discount that suggests to me that the statistical evidence is sufficiently established for it being A Good Thing, even considering the moral hazard of folks getting even lazier about actually paying attention.
The real truth is that it should be a very rare event indeed for any vehicle ever to be able to get IN to your blind spot before you become aware of its location and trajectory and speed. The worst risk occurs I think in high speed highway driving in very dense traffic with lots of merges. The scenario I've seen most often (and come close to myself most often) is when cars in the left and right lanes decide to move center simultaneously or witha a slight stagger -- they merge into each other rather than one holding a straight line, each basically in the other's opposite blind spot. That's where the alarm is super helpful because so few people signal.
Anyway yes, always look no matter what. But there is no substitute for being constantly aware of traffic around you as you go through it and attending closely to emerging vectors like entrances and slowing traffic ahead.
At least for those of us who love to drive, most of the time this mode of observational engagement IS THE FUN PART!
posted by spitbull at 6:51 AM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
And while we are doing driver's ed, rule number one of driving is try to be predictable. Move right if you're slower than the traffic around you. Pass only on the left. Maintain speed up grades. Keep a safe following distance. Always use turn signals. Always.
And as a old musician buddy of mine once said many years ago, albeit referring to not getting pulled over driving home from gigs while smoking weed in the car, "Don't be a fucking idiot, just drive the speed limit and stay between the lines." This sage advice has gotten me through a few tough situations since.
posted by spitbull at 7:04 AM on November 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
And as a old musician buddy of mine once said many years ago, albeit referring to not getting pulled over driving home from gigs while smoking weed in the car, "Don't be a fucking idiot, just drive the speed limit and stay between the lines." This sage advice has gotten me through a few tough situations since.
posted by spitbull at 7:04 AM on November 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
They forgot the MOST failsafe way, which is to be 23 and go to Thanksgiving at your parents' house in your first car, and when you're done basting the turkey there are little fisheye mirrors stuck onto your sideviews, because your father is the kind of person who keeps half a dozen extra sets on hand for just such an occasion.
posted by Mayor West at 7:29 AM on November 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Mayor West at 7:29 AM on November 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
"What's this like, bubble thing on my mirror, man?"
"Totally no idea, dude"
*pumps up stereo*
posted by Coda Tronca at 7:57 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
"Totally no idea, dude"
*pumps up stereo*
posted by Coda Tronca at 7:57 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
The mirror adjustment makes checking over your shoulder pretty much unnecessary during the day or in very well-lit conditions but I still find it necessary at night because there is a point where the car pulling up along side you will have its headlights up past where you can see in your side mirror but not so far forward that you can see it in your peripheral vision
Agreed. Thanks for the reminder, especially now that it is getting dark earlier in the evening, and will be completely dark on my commute home once daylight saving time ends this Sunday.
posted by cynical pinnacle at 8:03 AM on November 1, 2016
Agreed. Thanks for the reminder, especially now that it is getting dark earlier in the evening, and will be completely dark on my commute home once daylight saving time ends this Sunday.
posted by cynical pinnacle at 8:03 AM on November 1, 2016
Metafilter: like Spartacus meets Hot Dog The Movie
posted by Kabanos at 8:03 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Kabanos at 8:03 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Why does support for this method of mirror adjustment always seem to take such a smug and derisive tone?
Because the benefits of executing it correctly are so blatantly obvious that the only plausible reasons for adopting any other adjustment policy would appear to be wilful stupidity or a death wish or both.
posted by flabdablet at 9:24 AM on November 1, 2016
Because the benefits of executing it correctly are so blatantly obvious that the only plausible reasons for adopting any other adjustment policy would appear to be wilful stupidity or a death wish or both.
posted by flabdablet at 9:24 AM on November 1, 2016
If you're not looking over your left (outside of the UK) shoulder to check your blind spot when you change lanes or merge, in addition to consulting your mirrors, you're doing it wrong.
If you're backing up without leaning over and actually turning around in the seat and looking behind your vehicle, you shouldn't be backing up.
I completely agree with this but... what's the newest car you've driven recently?
In the current models of most BMW group vehicles(including mini et al), smarts, some hyundais and others you can't see fuckall. it infuriates me in a "how is this legal" way. Looking over your shoulder is all pillar, back seat, bad window shape, etc. In my old beater Hyundai you can clearly see. Ditto in my dads older Subaru. But anything made within the last couple years that isn't a generic sedan(and even then! The 3 series is fucking awful!) you just can't see shit out the left side or sometimes even the back.
I've driven box trucks with better visibility. So... then what? It frustrates me every time, but I don't even know what the correct answer is in that situation. It's like a blind driveway permanently attached to the car.
posted by emptythought at 9:30 AM on November 1, 2016
If you're backing up without leaning over and actually turning around in the seat and looking behind your vehicle, you shouldn't be backing up.
I completely agree with this but... what's the newest car you've driven recently?
In the current models of most BMW group vehicles(including mini et al), smarts, some hyundais and others you can't see fuckall. it infuriates me in a "how is this legal" way. Looking over your shoulder is all pillar, back seat, bad window shape, etc. In my old beater Hyundai you can clearly see. Ditto in my dads older Subaru. But anything made within the last couple years that isn't a generic sedan(and even then! The 3 series is fucking awful!) you just can't see shit out the left side or sometimes even the back.
I've driven box trucks with better visibility. So... then what? It frustrates me every time, but I don't even know what the correct answer is in that situation. It's like a blind driveway permanently attached to the car.
posted by emptythought at 9:30 AM on November 1, 2016
When I learned to drive it was "mirrors, directional, blindspot." Every lane change or turn required a turn of the head, not to look out your back window but just enough to check your blindspot. The passenger side view mirror was a luxury item so the method didn't count on its existence. Driving a truck is different since it doesn't have side or rear windows, maybe nowadays with the aquanaut styling of modern cars we should just paint over the side windows and get big rectangular side views with fisheyes When I owned a big stepvan (like a UPS truck) I always felt safe because I was NEVER in a hurry and drove much more carefully than when in a car.
posted by Pembquist at 9:44 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Pembquist at 9:44 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Slowing down to let someone merge is generally a bad idea. It is the responsibility of the merging car to adjust its speed and yield if necessary.
Nice theory, but when I see someone coming off an on-ramp at 50 mph and trying to enter a 75 mph flow of traffic and they're on a collision course with my car, I have three options. I can change lanes to get out of their way (best option), speed up to get out in front of them (second choice) or slow down to let them in front of me. If traffic is dense, options one and two may not be possible—I can't change lanes through the car next to mine, and I can't push the car in front of me out of the way. Also, the person trying to merge onto the highway is already desperately accelerating as fast as they can, so my speeding up is just going to confuse them. All I can do is slow down and open a gap for them so that they can get onto the highway without causing an accident.
I don't care what the official rules are, it's everybody's responsibility to help people merge onto the highway in whatever way works best at the time. The mergers don't always have great options or the luxury of picking a spot; oftentimes it's all they can do to get up to something reasonably close to the speed of traffic before the merge lane runs out. And if you've ever tried to get on the highway behind some timid person who is unable to hit that last straightaway at anything over 30 mph, you know that sometimes they have no options at all.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:45 AM on November 1, 2016 [6 favorites]
Nice theory, but when I see someone coming off an on-ramp at 50 mph and trying to enter a 75 mph flow of traffic and they're on a collision course with my car, I have three options. I can change lanes to get out of their way (best option), speed up to get out in front of them (second choice) or slow down to let them in front of me. If traffic is dense, options one and two may not be possible—I can't change lanes through the car next to mine, and I can't push the car in front of me out of the way. Also, the person trying to merge onto the highway is already desperately accelerating as fast as they can, so my speeding up is just going to confuse them. All I can do is slow down and open a gap for them so that they can get onto the highway without causing an accident.
I don't care what the official rules are, it's everybody's responsibility to help people merge onto the highway in whatever way works best at the time. The mergers don't always have great options or the luxury of picking a spot; oftentimes it's all they can do to get up to something reasonably close to the speed of traffic before the merge lane runs out. And if you've ever tried to get on the highway behind some timid person who is unable to hit that last straightaway at anything over 30 mph, you know that sometimes they have no options at all.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:45 AM on November 1, 2016 [6 favorites]
I've been adjusting my mirrors this way for decades because it makes such a huge difference in eliminating blindspots. My wife hates it, and the first thing she does when driving is re-adjust them so she can see the sides of the car in the mirrors. She claims it is because it makes her more "comfortable". My theory is that she does it because she secretly wants to keep an eye out for gremlins on the side of the car.
posted by fimbulvetr at 9:59 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by fimbulvetr at 9:59 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Slowing down to let someone merge is generally a bad idea. It is the responsibility of the merging car to adjust its speed and yield if necessary.
Nice theory, but...
Note the bolded word there (emphasis added).
posted by Etrigan at 10:05 AM on November 1, 2016
Nice theory, but...
Note the bolded word there (emphasis added).
posted by Etrigan at 10:05 AM on November 1, 2016
Some of the visibility problems emptythought describes may be due to newish safety mandates requiring that cars be able to support their weight when upside down without the pillars collapsing and crushing the occupants. This is to make cars more survivable on the event of a rollover accident. However, it means that pillars have gotten wider (and windows smaller) so that they can be strong enough to support the car. As well, many cars now have airbags in some of the pillars; this also makes them fatter and enlarges blind spots. It can be mitigated through careful design, but when designers are dealing with the triple constraint of safety requirements, ergonomics (visibility), and a particular desired silhouette, compromises are often made.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 10:09 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 10:09 AM on November 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
My BRZ has a maddeningly large blind spot for such a small car. I bought a set of aftermarket convex side mirrors. It took a little while to adjust to the change in depth perception, but there are no more blind spots.
posted by HighLife at 10:17 AM on November 1, 2016
posted by HighLife at 10:17 AM on November 1, 2016
Wider pillars are often terrible for front views. I know why they're there but damn low sloping windshields and big front pillars make for nasty blind spots ahead of you.
posted by Ferreous at 2:41 PM on November 1, 2016
posted by Ferreous at 2:41 PM on November 1, 2016
This year I got ahead of it. My van inspection was due in November, and I took care of it in October. There is some effect where it usually all goes to hell in the month of inspection. Not to be paranoid here, but I sneaked up on that sucker. So I got it all done in October. Then my right side mirror, fell all apart, two weeks later, my back windshield washer and defroster stopped. One of my tail lights went out. Heh heh heh. But I have the sticker on my plates. I saw this thread today and I immediately called the Van Cafe in Santa Cruz, and ordered my mirrors, and the tubing to fix the windshield washer, this thread got me going. I always buy a small 2 inch convex mirror to stick on the lower right corner of my passenger mirror, because that completely reveals the idiots who hide their tiny cars alongside my van. They are like Van Remoras, they just stick there. The little bubble extra mirror makes them visible.
posted by Oyéah at 3:49 PM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Oyéah at 3:49 PM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Van Remoras
I think I went to school with that guy.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:52 PM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I think I went to school with that guy.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:52 PM on November 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
The mergers don't always have great options or the luxury of picking a spot; oftentimes it's all they can do to get up to something reasonably close to the speed of traffic before the merge lane runs out. And if you've ever tried to get on the highway behind some timid person who is unable to hit that last straightaway at anything over 30 mph, you know that sometimes they have no options at all.
When they were widening the downtown interstates in Atlanta, back in the 80's, there were temporary on-ramps that were so short. Merging felt like trying to take off from an aircraft carrier with no catapult. More than once I saw people just frozen in terror at the end of the ramp, and you had to watch for that before you floored the gas at the top of it.
posted by thelonius at 4:58 PM on November 1, 2016
When they were widening the downtown interstates in Atlanta, back in the 80's, there were temporary on-ramps that were so short. Merging felt like trying to take off from an aircraft carrier with no catapult. More than once I saw people just frozen in terror at the end of the ramp, and you had to watch for that before you floored the gas at the top of it.
posted by thelonius at 4:58 PM on November 1, 2016
My wife has a car with blind spot detectors. The biggest factor for me is that when I drive her car I no longer adjust her mirrors to cover blind spots. I just let the mirrors do it.
posted by lester at 6:23 PM on November 1, 2016
posted by lester at 6:23 PM on November 1, 2016
I've done this since I started driving. I was shocked to learn this wasn't what everyone did when a similar article showed up on boingboing a few years ago.
posted by putzface_dickman at 7:20 PM on November 1, 2016
posted by putzface_dickman at 7:20 PM on November 1, 2016
Then my right side mirror, fell all apart, two weeks later, my back windshield washer and defroster stopped. One of my tail lights went out.
Ah, so your van is either American or German then?
posted by spitbull at 5:34 AM on November 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ah, so your van is either American or German then?
posted by spitbull at 5:34 AM on November 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
To add, it still starts and runs despite falling apart, so maybe not German. And definitely not Italian.
posted by spitbull at 7:07 AM on November 2, 2016
posted by spitbull at 7:07 AM on November 2, 2016
It is no work at all to look at your blind spot before changing lanes.
It's also no work to close your eyes repeatedly while driving 60 mph in heavy traffic. Failing to keep your eyes on the road is not optimal behavior.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:48 AM on November 2, 2016
It's also no work to close your eyes repeatedly while driving 60 mph in heavy traffic. Failing to keep your eyes on the road is not optimal behavior.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:48 AM on November 2, 2016
To add, it still starts and runs despite falling apart, so maybe not German. And definitely not Italian.
This is blatant xenonautophobia.
Even if it is true ...
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:46 AM on November 2, 2016
This is blatant xenonautophobia.
Even if it is true ...
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:46 AM on November 2, 2016
My Van is a 1985 Westfalia camper. Truly, it is like some phantom menace, things fall apart in November, the month inspection is due. Then I can barely afford to fix it and have it pass. It passes emissions testing no sweat, it is just little things.
posted by Oyéah at 11:13 AM on November 2, 2016
posted by Oyéah at 11:13 AM on November 2, 2016
It is no work at all to look at your blind spot before changing lanes.
Tell me no lies: It's also no work to close your eyes repeatedly while driving 60 mph in heavy traffic. Failing to keep your eyes on the road is not optimal behavior.
I can't let that go unchallenged. Regardless of the actual speed, if you can't spare one second for a shoulder check, you are too close to the car ahead. Period. I don't care if everyone else has no regard for correct spacing; if you're too close to the car ahead, that's 100% on you.
What is the correct distance you ask? It's often been taught as carlengths: one carlength for every 10 mph. But it's much easier to judge at any speed using time; you should be no closer than 2 seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you. Super easy to test: car ahead passes a landmark. start counting one steamboat, two steamboat... if you can't get two steamboat out before you cross the same mark, you're too close.
yes I know everyone drives too damn aggressively, and too close to each other. But you are still in control of the space in front of you. No combination of mirrors, stick-ons, cameras, driver assist are going to make up for plain bad driving.
posted by Artful Codger at 12:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
Tell me no lies: It's also no work to close your eyes repeatedly while driving 60 mph in heavy traffic. Failing to keep your eyes on the road is not optimal behavior.
I can't let that go unchallenged. Regardless of the actual speed, if you can't spare one second for a shoulder check, you are too close to the car ahead. Period. I don't care if everyone else has no regard for correct spacing; if you're too close to the car ahead, that's 100% on you.
What is the correct distance you ask? It's often been taught as carlengths: one carlength for every 10 mph. But it's much easier to judge at any speed using time; you should be no closer than 2 seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you. Super easy to test: car ahead passes a landmark. start counting one steamboat, two steamboat... if you can't get two steamboat out before you cross the same mark, you're too close.
yes I know everyone drives too damn aggressively, and too close to each other. But you are still in control of the space in front of you. No combination of mirrors, stick-ons, cameras, driver assist are going to make up for plain bad driving.
posted by Artful Codger at 12:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
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Stop pointing your mirrors at your own car. You already know what it looks like.
posted by ryanrs at 6:06 PM on October 31, 2016 [16 favorites]