Blind Spot Mirrors

[shugknight]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

Aha

yeah all it is, is just a concave round mirror. Stick it to the side of your side mirrors and you're done.

Like I said, for 5 bucks, you definitely can't go wrong.

Also, unlike those mirrors you originally showed, it doesn't take long to get used to. I'm not sure, but looking at how big that rear-view mirror is.. I bet it takes a while to find the sweet spots.

[JayBee74]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

yeah all it is, is just a concave round mirror. Stick it to the side of your side mirrors and you're done.

Like I said, for 5 bucks, you definitely can't go wrong.

Also, unlike those mirrors you originally showed, it doesn't take long to get used to. I'm not sure, but looking at how big that rear-view mirror is.. I bet it takes a while to find the sweet spots.

I bought a pair of round ones for $3.99 a piece that work fine. They rotate 360 degrees to fine tune you angle, but I didn't even bother to mess with that.

[Alliball]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

No substitute for looking over your shoulder, which is what most good drivers do. Sadly, I don't see many people doing it these days, which is why I've seen more close calls year after year. The biggest offenders are kids, it seams as if they were never taught the proper way to make a lane change, which is no big surprise.

I'm sorry, but depending on mirrors alone is just flat lazy driving.

[JayBee74]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

No substitute for looking over your shoulder, which is what most good drivers do. Sadly, I don't see many people doing it these days, which is why I've seen more close calls year after year. The biggest offenders are kids, it seams as if they were never taught the proper way to make a lane change, which is no big surprise.

I'm sorry, but depending on mirrors alone is just flat lazy driving.

The problem with the "look over your shoulder" move is that it isn't great for fast lane changes. Never heard that blind spot mirrors are used by "lazy drivers"-got any stats on that??

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

The problem with the "look over your shoulder" move is that it isn't great for fast lane changes. Never heard that blind spot mirrors are used by "lazy drivers"-got any stats on that??

I don't trust the cars in-front of me enough to stop looking at them both directly and indirectly long enough to check around me. All it takes is a split second to be rear-ending somebody.

Actually, in my Driver's Ed. course in HS and even my driving instruction stressed checking/adjusting mirrors every time you got into your car. With the right mirror set-up you don't need to look over your shoulder.

[p_rushing]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

Yeah lazy drivers probably don't have them to begin with. I use them on my personal cars, but I rent a car every week and I definitely miss them.

[Alliball]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

The problem with the "look over your shoulder" move is that it isn't great for fast lane changes. Never heard that blind spot mirrors are used by "lazy drivers"-got any stats on that??

Glancing over your shoulder is the best way to make sure nobody has snuck up on you right before you make your lane change, there really is no substitute. After 21 years of driving I've never felt like I had any blindspot issues while driving, maybe it's because it was driven home from day 1 that looking over my shoulder before a lane change was safe. On top of that I'm always checking my mirrors looking for the Speed Racers and unsafe lane changers of the world.

I'm sorry, but those that strictly depend on mirrors are just lazy drivers. If these mirrors were so safe, wouldn't they be standard on all cars? I can't imagine it would add much to the cost of car.

In California, they may even be considered illegal modification of your vehicle.

[JayBee74]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

In California, they may even be considered illegal modification of your vehicle.

I guess Ford won't sell their new cars in California.

[Alliball]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

You're right, Ford will be adding blind spot mirrors, but they had to find a way to add them while still dealing with the federal law that says all mirrors must be flat. So I would be willing to bet that such add on mirrors may be illegal.

Please don't give me the, "Then why do they sell them?" argument. There are many after market mods that people can purchase that are illegal. Like the ability to tint driver and passenger windows in CA. Companies do it for car owners knowing all to well it's illegal in this state.

[JayBee74]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

You're right, Ford will be adding blind spot mirrors, but they had to find a way to add them while still dealing with the federal law that says all mirrors must be flat. So I would be willing to bet that such add on mirrors may be illegal.

Please don't give me the, "Then why do they sell them?" argument. There are many after market mods that people can purchase that are illegal. Like the ability to tint driver and passenger windows in CA. Companies do it for car owners knowing all to well it's illegal in this state.

Federal law mandates that all convex (or non flat) mirrors be labeled "OBJECTS IN MIRRORS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR". These mirrors ARE NOT illegal. However there are standards for the curvature of these mirrors.

[Alliball]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

Federal law mandates that all convex (or non flat) mirrors be labeled "OBJECTS IN MIRRORS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR". These mirrors ARE NOT illegal. However there are standards for the curvature of these mirrors.

My bad, driver side mirrors must be flat. I'm far too lazy to do the bold red font.

[JayBee74]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

My bad, driver side mirrors must be flat. I'm far too lazy to do the bold red font.

I'm still confused and still learning about all this. Now I'm finding out that all or at the very least most regular "side view mirrors"(or "driver side mirrors") are convex and have the OBJECTS IN MIRRORS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR warning on them.Their curvature is probably within federal guidelines-the add on blind spot mirrors may not be within those regs.

[Alliball]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

I'm still confused and still learning about all this. Now I'm finding out that all or at the very least most regular "side view mirrors"(or "driver side mirrors") are convex and have the OBJECTS IN MIRRORS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR warning on them.Their curvature is probably within federal guidelines-the add on blind spot mirrors may not be within those regs.

I've never seen the warning on driver side mirrors, however you do see it all time on passenger mirrors. I got the info from a quote made by a Ford spokesman regarding one of the hurdles they encountered in adding their new blind spot mirrors.

[JayBee74]

Re: Blind Spot Mirrors

I've never seen the warning on driver side mirrors, however you do see it all time on passenger mirrors. I got the info from a quote made by a Ford spokesman regarding one of the hurdles they encountered in adding their new blind spot mirrors.

That's how sharp I am today. I'm misconstruing "driver side mirror" to be "driver's side mirrors" like Jaybee's side mirrors including passenger and driver side mirrors. So I'm wondering-is the passenger side mirror convex and the driver side mirrors not?