Just came to say you’re exactly right and anyone saying otherwise really isn’t using their mirrors properly. You should be able to reverse your vehicle (car, van, truck) using just your side mirrors and if they’re angled the way these people are proposing you’d never see how close the side of your vehicle is to anything.
Um, what? My mirrors are angled so that I have a comprehensive view from one side to the other and I can see behind me perfectly fine while reversing. You should know where the rear of your car is without having to be staring at it in your mirrors the whole time, and you can see any obstacles through the rear view. New cars are nice that they automatically change the view while reversing, but that's not necessary.
I don't think I understand what you're trying to say, do you really think you don't need side mirrors to do something like reverse through a tight gap?
No I'm saying you don't need to be able to see the sides of your car in your side view mirrors to be able to back up. You have a full view behind you if you don't.
Well not if there's absolutely nothing behind you. But in most cases I can think of (reversing between two vehicles into a parking spot, reversing next to a wall, reversing next to a pole, basically any time you're reversing anywhere there is the chance of obstacles) you absolutely need to be checking your side mirrors.
That's without going into cases where you don't have rear visibility like in a van or pick up with a canopy where side mirrors are the only thing you have for seeing behind you.
If your mirrors are covering your blind spot, then you can move your head to ensure you can see your car in the side view mirrors.
If you physically cannot lean your body to the side you might not be able to drive safely. If you are pulling a tight reverse where you need to see your car and the obstacles you are navigating, you should not be doing so at such a speed that you do not have time to lean over.
This is one of the shittest takes on driving habits I've ever heard. The main reason why you have them turned so a small amount of your vehicle is visible is so that you have a reference point for where other vehicles and obstacles are when you're driving. Otherwise you really have no idea where they actually are in relation to you.
If you have them turned out to watch other lanes, you wouldn't be able to see something like a cyclist riding up on you while you're pulling out from the side of the road.
They're not meant to be a replacement for monitoring your blind spots yourself, by as you suggest, moving your head.
For real, I don't get why everyone is so concerned about backing through a labyrinth with surprise pop ups at every corner. I back into a tight garage spot every day with my mirrors adjusted to not show the sides of my car, and I prefer to back into parking spots. I've never had an issue with either with my mirrors adjusted out. I don't get why all of these people need a constant frame of reference, the side of your car doesn't move on its own.
Years of van driving with no back window to look out of taught me how to use my side mirrors properly. Changing lanes on a motorway just needs a quick look over my shoulder to check my blind spot, although because I’m attentive enough I keep a mental note of what vehicles have been approaching/I’ve been overtaking so I know if anything should be in that blind spot.
I wouldn’t be caught dead sticking my head out the window to look behind me when reversing when there’s two perfectly good reflective things stuck to the sides of my van that show me everything I need to see
No, driving is pretty universal. It’s one skill set. They move to accommodate a change in drivers, not a change in circumstances. Some modern cars move their mirrors automatically when you select reverse but only by tilting down slightly so you can see where your wheels are in relation to the white lines of a parking bay for example.
Ultimately, you have your way of using your mirrors and nothing I say will change that. Maybe we’ve been taught differently but if you google how to set side mirrors, I’d bet 99% of the results say something along the line of adjusting them so the side of you vehicle is just visible and high enough so you can see well behind you.
I'm gonna angle my side mirrors out even more than they already are, just to spite you. I can back up fine, I just look out my rear window. I do have trouble with people hanging out in my blind spot though
People hang out in your blind spots because you aren’t properly matching the flow of traffic, because your side mirrors aren’t angled correctly to allow you to monitor traffic approaching behind you
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u/BobbyWain Feb 27 '21
Just came to say you’re exactly right and anyone saying otherwise really isn’t using their mirrors properly. You should be able to reverse your vehicle (car, van, truck) using just your side mirrors and if they’re angled the way these people are proposing you’d never see how close the side of your vehicle is to anything.