Side view mirrors

I was taught years ago to aim the mirrors so the car just barely show up in the mirror. Drove like that for years untill someone had me adjust the mirrors just past that so I couldn't see the car. The blind spots got way smaller. That's how I adjust them now. So probably inbetween what you do and what your daughter does.

I can't stand the stupid re-aiming mirrors either. ALL the max's at work have them, which makes me rely on cringe over the shoulder or double cringe the backup camera.
REALLY hate them, and it'd be a deal breaker if I was buying a car with it.
My side mirrors are aimed as you said, probably a holdover from driving the cable van with no back window.
makes parking (I reverse into every spot I can't pull through) AND driving easy.

As a DE teacher let me describe a few things. When you learn to drive and position your car by using reference points, learn how wide or long your car is, and position your mirrors as the OP's daughter does you decrease risk by increasing your knowledge of where YOU and THE CAR are to your environment. You are in your car so you should know where it is without needing the mirrors. The mirrors are there to show us where other things are.

I tell my students that mirrors are like good friends, you can count on them for a lot of help but you still have to look around and check things for yourself.

With my car I like to have a little of the car in each one and always turn my head to make sure.

With the buses we keep the side of the bus in the edge of the left side mirror, line up the inside rear view mirror to look out the right side windows, and aim the right side mirror at the right rear tire. If there is a second covex mirror on the right it gets used like a regular mirror. The little mirror inside the front door is aimed at the first forward facing seat on the left side, where young women most often sit.

Wally wrote: The little mirror inside the front door is aimed at the first forward facing seat on the left side, where young women most often sit.

I think we can reach a consensus on this point.

You do not have to compromise! You can see out the rear and both sides at the same time!

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

I love seeing those in the car in front of me.

It's a wonderful indicator of the operators driving ability.

For the sake of safety, I always put those folks as far behind me as possible.

Trans_Maro wrote: In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: I love seeing those in the car in front of me. It's a wonderful indicator of the operators driving ability. For the sake of safety, I always put those folks as far behind me as possible.

I have one in my race car - it is awesome for defending a corner - you can see exactly how far inside the other guy is and whether you can slam the door or if you would do that at your own peril. Also excellent after a pass for chopping back in line.

The only problem I see with putting one in a street car is that if you try to oogle women with it - it is very hard to tell the good looking ones from the short, stubby fat ones.

I leave my mirrors just so you can see edge of the rear of the car. I want to see more of the road. My work van has some aftermarket convex mirrors that are OK, but I wish I had something better.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

In a racecar it's different. You -know- the guy behind you is really close.

In a street-driven car, the lack of depth perception that it gives is a bad thing.

I'm not going to reinforce any stereotypes but where I live, the only cars you see those mirrors in have an aftermarket wing on the back and a whole bunch of stickers on the side, advertising products which don't actually make the car go faster or handle better.

I have my Trooper's mirrors set so I can just barely see the edge of the rear, then have a spot mirror on the outside. I like this because I can quickly see if there is a motorcycle near the rear quarter. I will first glance at the mirror, then turn my ugly noggin to verify what exactly is back there. I learned that driving ragtops, I was stupid enough to think that having the top down eliminated blind spots. Oh no it doesn't.

The Jensen and the bike's mirrors are there more to satisfy the po po, they are no substitute for turning the melon and I do not rely on them at all.

Streetwiseguy wrote: And while I'm complaining, what is the deal with mirrors that aim themselves at the rear tires when the car is put in reverse? Just quit setting your kid by the rear tire...

The ones I experience aim the mirror at the ground under the passenger door.

I don't give a crap about the ground, I want to not hit the car next to me.

Knurled wrote:

Streetwiseguy wrote: And while I'm complaining, what is the deal with mirrors that aim themselves at the rear tires when the car is put in reverse? Just quit setting your kid by the rear tire...

The ones I experience aim the mirror at the ground under the passenger door. I don't give a crap about the ground, I want to not hit the car next to me.

Those mirrors are designed for parallel parking in mind. Don't know where the curb is? Well now you do.

And before you declare yourself "Parallel ParKing of the World", there are a LOT of people who suck at it.

When backing out of a parking spot or driveway, you really should be looking over your shoulder anyways.

I don't see how pointing the mirror at the ground in the middle of the car makes one bit of difference. You still need to see where the corners of the car are at so you don't back into things.

Whatever would we need to see the corners for? Remember, we have self parking cars for the mouth breathers.

Knurled wrote: I don't see how pointing the mirror at the ground in the middle of the car makes one bit of difference. You still need to see where the corners of the car are at so you don't back into things.

You're thinking as a car guy

nicksta43 wrote: YOU WILL NOT CONVERT ME!!! I WILL LOOK AT THE SIDE OF MY CAR FOREVER!!!!

Just got back from a weekend getaway with the family and I tried the goofy new way. Actually it took a little getting use to but after a short time it felt pretty natural.

It's still odd to get such a brief view of what's beside me instead of a broad view of what's behind me but I think I might have been wrong on this one.

The street I grew up on required parallel parking and I do not use mirrors at all for that.

nicksta43 wrote: It's still odd to get such a brief view of what's beside me instead of a broad view of what's behind me but I think I might have been wrong on this one.

that's what the center mounted rear view mirror is for

The center mirror is basically useless in most cars unless you want to see driver's face and B/C-pillars. (Well, it does function nicely as a way to keep you from seeing traffic on descending onramps) I use the side mirrors to see what's behind me, and turn my head before changing lanes.

Count me as someone in favor of rear view cameras.

I have an additional problem with setting the mirrors wider.

I tow trailers regularly. Several times a week.

When the mirrors are set parallel with the truck (barely seeing the rear corner as a reference), backing is much easier.

If I set them wide, the angle of the mirror would NOT be parallel with the vehicle. It's pretty hard to back a trailer with mirrors set at an angle to the vehicle. The one exception is passenger side mirrors on tractor trailers (which are usually remotely operated from the driver's seat, so they can be adjusted throughout the turn).

I am VERY good at backing a trailer.

Plus, without the vehicle reference, how do you know the mirror is at the exact same angle as the last time you drove the car? If you are used to no reference, it's pretty easy for the mirrors to get bumped further and create a blind spot at the rear corner.

I see no reason why we should encourage drivers not to turn their head and look over their shoulder. I do it for every single lane change.

I think wider mirrors encourage drivers to be lazy.

In that split second you turn your head around to look over your shoulder, the guy in front of you that you are changing lanes to get around will hit his brakes. Do not take your tatntion off the road ahead of you. That's how rea end accidents occur. Properly aimed mirrors and use them is teh best way.

Then again I'm used to trucks with caps, or trailers behind, and vans, and panel trucks, and the like, where looking over your shoulder is useless anyhow.

And I like the power side mirrors that point to the curb. Both my BMW and my Range Rover had them and they were useful when parallel parking for seeing how close to the curb I was getting (and I did look over my shoulder to see where the CARS were when parallel parking...)

I set mine so that I have to move my head to see the sides of the car, and I have those little parabolic stick-on mirrors. Anyone who uses a curved mirror for judging distance is asking for it though.

I once saw a video with a 240Z - I think it belonged to somebody on here - that had a bank of about 4 average-sized flat rearview mirrors in a rectangular housing. I think that could give you the best of both worlds. Is that a thing you can get off the shelf?

Yep you can get the 4-mirror setup

http://pitstopusa.com/c-131900-cockpit-accessories-mirrors.html

http://www.summitracing.com/search/Part-Type/Rearview-Mirrors/

Knurled wrote: The center mirror is basically useless in most cars unless you want to see driver's face and B/C-pillars. (Well, it does function nicely as a way to keep you from seeing traffic on descending onramps) I use the side mirrors to see what's behind me, and turn my head before changing lanes. Count me as someone in favor of rear view cameras.

Not sure what mirror your car has.. but when I look in the centre mirror on my cars.. I see right out the back window with it being framed by the c/d pillars. Can't see my face at all

81cpcamaro wrote: Yep you can get the 4-mirror setup http://pitstopusa.com/c-131900-cockpit-accessories-mirrors.html http://www.summitracing.com/search/Part-Type/Rearview-Mirrors/

Ah thanks it was the "Allstar Performance 4-panel race mirror"