Blindspot Mirrors vs Looking over your shoulder

[Pickled Piper]

What is the latest thinking on glancing over your shoulder before changing lane? It's something I always do rather than relying on mirrors. However, my daughter who recently passed her test, told me she was taught to use the blindspot mirrors fitted to the instructors car.

I'm planning on teaching her to glance over her shoulder. Perhaps I should buy some blindspot mirrors for myself?

PP

[Haltamer]

With the mirrors set correctly, you shouldn't need either.

Set them so that you can't see the side of the car - It's not going anywhere, so doesn't need watching

https://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/driving/what-... - This pretty much gives the ful spiel.

With that, I never really have the need to check over my shoulder (Especially with the voluminous C pillar I have) - That being said, I'm not adverse to a quick shoulder check if there is any uncertainty.

[Pica-Pica]

Haltamer said:

With the mirrors set correctly, you shouldn't need either.

Set them so that you can't see the side of the car - It's not going anywhere, so doesn't need watching

https://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/driving/what-... - This pretty much gives the ful spiel.

With that, I never really have the need to check over my shoulder (Especially with the voluminous C pillar I have) - That being said, I'm not adverse to a quick shoulder check if there is any uncertainty.

This, plus I am constantly aware of what is around me. However, having ridden bike, the ‘lifesaver’ is a natural check for me.

[SMB]

Mirrors every time. Just think how far you travel forward whilst your eyes are off the road, or trying to refocus on what’s in front of you. Would you close your eyes for that long?

[Graveworm]

All of the above plus blindspot and collision avoidance. Highway code and Roadcraft both still have it.

[LarsG]

Got them and they are an irritation because they have so many false positives.
Correctly positioned mirrors are good but better still is a glance over your shoulder.

At the end of the day over reliance on tech I'll bite you at some point because as will all things electrical, it can go wrong.

[LarsG]

LarsG said:

Got them and they are an irritation because they have so many false positives.
Correctly positioned mirrors are good but better still is a glance over your shoulder.

At the end of the day over reliance on tech will bite you at some point because as with all things electrical, it can go wrong.

[anonymous-user]

Ex biker, so lifesavers are automatic for me.

Can't say how many times I've been saved from cars hiding in a blind spot.

New car has blind spot detection which works really well, still do a lifesaver though.

[Graveworm]

LarsG said:

Got them and they are an irritation because they have so many false positives.
Correctly positioned mirrors are good but better still is a glance over your shoulder.

At the end of the day over reliance on tech I'll bite you at some point because as will all things electrical, it can go wrong.

Hence why I said as well as. Not relying on them at all. Since when was more information about what's around you a bad thing. Sure it could go wrong yet I drive around relying on far more critical things like brakes and steering - which also could go wrong. I don't see the false positives that you complain if.

Edited by Graveworm on Friday 21st June 22:17

[henrycrun]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I'm planning on teaching her to glance over her shoulder<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

It's a skill for life - and tell her to tell her mates.

[caelite]

I used to, but then a few years of spending >30hours a week in large vans taught me to be a lot more reliant on my mirrors, but also positioning the mirrors right, and placing yourself properly, particularly at junctions, to account for your blind spots.

That being said the car I daily (Suzuki Jimny) has big square mirrors which do make life easier.

[SOL111]

SMB said:

Mirrors every time. Just think how far you travel forward whilst your eyes are off the road, or trying to refocus on what’s in front of you. Would you close your eyes for that long?

Interesting, a shoulder check usually only takes the same amount of time as doing a 'mirrors 1,2,3' if not less.

Although, if you use the elastic band approach then you're unlikely to be surprised about what's ahead.

[GW65]

Haltamer said:

With the mirrors set correctly, you shouldn't need either.

Set them so that you can't see the side of the car - It's not going anywhere, so doesn't need watching

https://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/driving/what-... - This pretty much gives the ful spiel.

With that, I never really have the need to check over my shoulder (Especially with the voluminous C pillar I have) - That being said, I'm not adverse to a quick shoulder check if there is any uncertainty.

Must admit I'd seen that many years ago, but never really tried it. However, my current car has a design "quirk" in RHD versions where you can't actually adjust the nearside mirror in far enough to see the side of the car even if you want to! It feels really weird after 30-odd years of doing it the "wrong" way, and I had been considering tweaking the mechanism to "fix" it, but now I'm going to embrace it and adjust the offside too.

To be honest, like most people I've really had the mirrors showing the side of the car for parking rather than driving, which is silly based on the amount of time you spend on each activity. However, on the country lanes I tend to drive on it is useful to be able to see the passenger side to get as close as possible to the verge when necessary...although my temporary (soon to be permanent!) fix was to fit a blind-spot mirror to see the side of the car rather than the blind-spot )

[Graveworm]

Until very recently I regularly drove loads of different cars. Even now I hire cars 10 plus times a year so a system that covers as many bases as possible works for me.

[PhilAsia]

Haltamer said:

With the mirrors set correctly, you shouldn't need either.

Set them so that you can't see the side of the car - It's not going anywhere, so doesn't need watching

https://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/driving/what-... - This pretty much gives the ful spiel.

With that, I never really have the need to check over my shoulder (Especially with the voluminous C pillar I have) - That being said, I'm not adverse to a quick shoulder check if there is any uncertainty.

The diagram does not eliminate the blind spot:
1) A motorbike could be in position 3 in the lane to your right and position 1 in the lane to your left. You would not see them
2) A road user could be moving in from directly over your blind spot/life saver area when moving off.
3) Sitting in traffic, you will not see a truck sans brakes barreling down on you and be able to take possible evasive action.

I would recommend setting the side mirrors so that they show 1% of the side of your vehicle or "just" 0%, but still aligned so as to address situation (3) and also allow use while parking.

[Howard-]

My car has nice big mirrors with a wide FOV and I have them set so that I don't have a blindspot. As soon as a car or bike has gone from the mirror, I can see it in my peripheral vision. I will usually move my head forward a bit to get a wider view just to be sure though, and especially so if it's dark and/or rainy.

[DaveH23]

Pickled Piper said:

She was taught to use the blindspot mirrors fitted to the instructors car.

All good and well until she buys her first car and realises it doesn't have Blindspot mirrors.

I assume these are the ones that have a little light of some sort that illuminates when someone is there.

Not sure why but I don't trust modern car witchcraft. Even in my partner's car that has 360 cameras, I still ignore them and use the mirrors.

[Peter3442]

Wherever you aim them, there will always be some narrow range of directions not covered by just about all door and interior mirrors. We do need to be aware of all around us and that means moving your head around to widen the view via the mirrors as well as a look over the shoulder.

[Bigends]

I still have a quick glance over my shoulder - even after a mirror check

[Boosted LS1]

SMB said:

Mirrors every time. Just think how far you travel forward whilst your eyes are off the road, or trying to refocus on what’s in front of you. Would you close your eyes for that long?

Of course, it's just a glimpse that I learnt to do when I was a bike rider. People take more time fumbling around with the tech in their cars.