How Do You Have Your Mirrors Set?

Mark_in_Tulsa · July 15, 2008

Ok I have several people who drive my vehicles and I drive several other sets of vehicles. And almost everyone does this, and it drives me crazy. Almost everyone sets their side mirrors so that most of what they see is their own side of their vehicle. I can't stand that. I love my truck but I don't need to see the side of it. I like to set my mirrors so they show the lanes beside me, not see the lane I'm in. I know people are different heights but I will sit like they do and ask them about it, and they just like to be able to see where they are in relation to the road.

I have almost ZERO blind spots. You have to be leaning against my vehicle next to the tire for me to not see you. So unless there is a guy literally running down the hwy at 75mpg next to my rear tire I will see them.

I also back into my parking spaces. Be it at work or driveway. All I have to do is slightly lean to the right while looking at my passenger mirror while I watch the lines or grass while I back in.

end rant.

Anyone else set their mirrors like me. If not try it. I just can't stand getting in a car/truck and seeing the side of my own vehicle.

*disclaimer

I still turn my head while merging and changing lanes.

pwall · July 15, 2008

Mine are set the same way....don't need to see the side of my vechicle, I know what it looks like. ;)

BigJayDogg3 · July 15, 2008

I set mine where I can see the haunches of my car. I've driven with the mirrors "out" before, and had for a few months, but old habits die hard I guess.

On my truck, I can barely see the sides at all.

svensk · July 15, 2008

Wait...so the side mirrors aren't extra supposed to be used to look up my nose and pluck hairs?

2000DV4.8 · July 15, 2008

I have them set so I can just see a little bit of the back of the box.

Darkanion · July 15, 2008

I thought the side mirrors were so you could angle them down and look at your rear tires, to make sure they haven't gone flat..!??

In all seriousness, I have mine adjusted "out" so that I see "just" a little of the side of the truck, but mostly the next lane(s) of traffic.

Nick The Great · July 15, 2008

Aye.

My driver side is set to just barely see my truck. The passenger side is aimed slightly downward, if anything

SoCalChris · July 15, 2008

A Mercedes club that I used to belong to gave this advice for setting your mirrors. It leaves almost 0 blind areas.

To set the driver side mirror:

While sitting in the drivers seat, lean to the left until your face is leaning on the window. From there, angle the mirror so that you can just see the edge of your car.

To set the passenger side mirror:

While sitting in the driver's seat, lean over so you're directly behind the rear view mirror. Angle the passenger side mirror so that you can just see the outside edge of the vehicle.

Between the two outside mirrors and the rear view mirror, you will have a perfect view of what's going on around your car.

Mikeee · July 15, 2008

Ok I have several people who drive my vehicles and I drive several other sets of vehicles. And almost everyone does this, and it drives me crazy. Almost everyone sets their side mirrors so that most of what they see is their own side of their vehicle. I can't stand that. I love my truck but I don't need to see the side of it. I like to set my mirrors so they show the lanes beside me, not see the lane I'm in. I know people are different heights but I will sit like they do and ask them about it, and they just like to be able to see where they are in relation to the road.

I have almost ZERO blind spots. You have to be leaning against my vehicle next to the tire for me to not see you. So unless there is a guy literally running down the hwy at 75mpg next to my rear tire I will see them.

I also back into my parking spaces. Be it at work or driveway. All I have to do is slightly lean to the right while looking at my passenger mirror while I watch the lines or grass while I back in.

end rant.

Anyone else set their mirrors like me. If not try it. I just can't stand getting in a car/truck and seeing the side of my own vehicle.

*disclaimer

I still turn my head while merging and changing lanes.

Pretty much the same as me.

I drive 900 miles a week, mostly on multi-lane roads so full vision is important for me.

If I have to turn my head to "see" what is near me, the mirrors are out of adjustment.

I learned many years ago that if all 3 mirrors are adjusted correctly you only need to move your eyes to see everything.

I've seem people almost do this....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8qG5V2iBvFs

as they look to change lanes.

Lincoln30 · July 15, 2008

I use the lean method mentioned above to set my mirrors. I leaned it from a BMW owners manual...of course this was after someone told me it was in the manual since I rarely look at those things

omegafiler · July 15, 2008

Yep, that's how I've always done it. There's lots of info out there that explains the correct way to set your mirrors. But I know lots of people prefer to see the entire side of the vehicle.

http://www.linquist.net/motorsports/tech/mirrors/ <-- very cool

http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Rearview-Mirror...ate-Blind-Spots

http://www.driveandstayalive.com/articles%...the-mirrors.htm

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/mi...TalkMirrors.pdf

99silveradoz71 · July 17, 2008

I'll agree with the above, just a bit of the edges and mostly the adjacent lanes. A friend of the family/police driving instructor once told me the same thing, you know the sides of your vehicle are going to be there, don't worry about them, see around you.

Bobslob · July 22, 2008

My mirrors are the same as what everyone else has said, but for some reason the passenger side mirror on the D-Max seems like it is always pointed down toward the exhaust , I just cant figure it out

Chestah · July 22, 2008

I have them to barely see the edge of the truck. In two years of owning it I've only driven 8,000 miles and most of it in town. I also turn my head to change lanes on the interstate.