Quickvr4

Is it just me or do our cars have a huge blind spot?

What are your suggestions to get around this? Simply add a spot mirror to each side?

Thanks.

mikekuriger

No blind spot on my car. However, I do use the SMOG method when changing lanes.

pointman

Only way a car has less of a blind spot than ours is if it is a convertible.

PC Valkyrie

Set your side mirrors differently. There should be no overlap between what you see in your centre interior mirror and what you see in your side mirrors. In other words, you should not be able to see the side of your car on your side mirrors if you do this properly.

If set properly, there is no blind spot. If the car in the adjacent lane can't be seen in your centre or side mirror, they are almost right beside such that your normal peripheral vision will pick it up.

This is what was taught at BMW Driving schools and other performance driving schools.

Sea55

+1

Quickvr4

Alright. It must be how I set my mirrors because this is the first car I have experienced a blind spot when driving.

I like to set my mirrors so when I move my head I can see the side of the car. This comes in handy when backing up into a parking spot.

tw2

You should not be able to see the sides of your car in your side mirrors. I can see my car sides but I do the smog thing also (signal, mirrors, over shoulder, go- I had to google it)

PilotAlan

I can't see what you are seeing, so excuse me if this is what you already do:

Your mirrors should be set up so that when you look in them, you do not see the side of the car, nor the road anywhere near the car.
You should have to lean forward and toward the mirror to see the side of the car.

The way I set them up is this:
Don't do this is a driveway. The slope of the driveway will throw everything off. Do it in parking lot, or sidestreet.
Sit in the seat facing forward, centered in the seat, and in normal driving posture (not leaned forward).

Adjust the mirror to where you are looking straight down the street behind you (not angled down at all), and you can barely see the side of the car.
Now move the mirror outward, until you view is straight to the rear (not angled in toward the side of the car. The next lane over, so curb, or whatever you can see should appear to be going straight off in the distance.

You should be able then to lean back and toward the mirror and just see the side of the car (for tight maneuvering), lean forward and away to see what's in the next lane, sit upright and lean to see the curb (or close to it).

Hope any of that makes sense. It's hard to describe.

FrankW

i set my side mirrors to see the side of the door handles.

PC Valkyrie

Are you kidding or serious? If you're serious, then you are not optimizing how you use your mirrors. If your priority is to eliminate the blind spot, then you are not doing it by seeing any part of your car in your side mirrors. If your priority is to see the side of your own car in the side mirrors to help with parking the car, then you do so at the expense of having a blind spot.


The goal is to set it up so that once a car leaves your REAR view mirror, it appears in your SIDE view mirror - and once it leaves your SIDE view mirror, it appears in your side window/peripheral vision. You don't want your side mirrors duplicating what can be seen in your centre rear view mirror.

Quickvr4

That is what I have been doing as well but have a blind spot.

FrankW

interesting because I DON'T have any blind spot when I drive. UNLESS the car is right next to me just behind my front door.

like i said, i set my mirror so i can see the EDGE/side of the door handle. It doesn't mean I can see the side of my car without leaning.

Viper98912

I prefer to set my mirrors just barely seeing the side of the car. This way I can use it as a reference point. Because of this, I sometimes move over to see in the blind spot via the windshield rear view mirror. I know that I can get rid of it by widening my mirrors and it works well to be able to see more without a blind spot, but I still just prefer seeing the edge of the car. Maybe because it looks sleek too

scrwmpwr

Agreed on still keeping some of the car in view as reference. For reverse does anyone else use park assist? (where when you put the car in reverse the right hand side mirror tilts to give better view of the curb).

I find the best angle for getting rid of a blind spot is not the most ideal for parallel parking a tight spot

JonMBZ

I bought my car with one of those little dot mirrors on my normal mirror, I hate how it looks but it works pretty well. I still look over my shoulder though.

Lenin

If it is that much of a problem, try Euro convex mirrors. Check with Steve from MbenzNL or look for it on ebay.de

W203Ramos

I do what Franco says..." WHATSA BEHIND ME IS NAT IMPORTANT!!!!..."

W203Ramos

...on a serious note i do the same thing as frank/pc does. "edge of door handle" they're agreeing to disagree.

60n5pt1

Road and Track and Cr and Driver have both indicated the same recommendation on how to set your side view mirror.
If you're seeing your own door handle, you're not seeing your blind spot.
I turn my side mirrors as far away to actually see a car slightly behind me.
If I see a car, it means it's close to next to me. If I don't, it means it still way behind me. It also means I could see the car from my rear view mirror, too.