June 9, 2012: Better driver's side mirror

[Undertoad]

It's an easy question: which mirror would you rather have as your side mirror? The standard one, which shows a field of view of about 17 degrees... or the one above it, which shows a field of view of 45 degrees?

Now let's say there's a cement mixer in your "blind spot". Which one now?

Dr. R. Andrew Hicks of Drexel worked out how to get a wider field of view in a mirror, without the usual distortion of the convex "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" mirror. Look at the silver car in both views to see what a difference this is. It would take some getting used to but I imagine the wider field would be much better.

The problem is, it's current illegal to install such a mirror in most countries including the US. Innovation illegal... oh well, who needed it anyway.

[zippyt]

the wider view obviously ,
I all ways put small fish eye mirrors on our cars

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

snip--

The problem is, it's current illegal to install such a mirror in most countries including the US. Innovation illegal... oh well, who needed it anyway.

From your link:

In the United States, regulations dictate that cars coming off of the assembly line must have a flat mirror on the driver's side. Curved mirrors are allowed for cars' passenger-side mirrors only if they include the phrase "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

Because of these regulations, Hicks's mirrors will not be installed on new cars sold in the U.S. any time soon. The mirror may be manufactured and sold as an aftermarket product that drivers and mechanics can install on cars after purchase.

Cool idea.

[xoxoxoBruce]

It took me a lot of years to discover I shouldn't be able to see the side of my own vehicle in either side mirror when driving. I can move my head, or the mirror, if I have to back into a tight spot.

[CaliforniaMama]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

It took me a lot of years to discover I shouldn't be able to see the side of my own vehicle in either side mirror when driving.

A few years ago I came across a formula for adjusting the side mirrors. On the driver's side, if I remember correctly, you lean your head against the window and adjust the mirror until you see the side of your vehicle. That puts it in just the right spot so that when you are sitting normally your blind spot is no longer blind.

[Clodfobble]

I've always adjusted based on the "blind spot" itself. Sit normally and look in the rear view mirror. Take the furthest item you can see on the left, and adjust your driver's side mirror so that you can barely pick that item out on the far right of your side mirror's field. This is visual confirmation that there is overlap, hence no blind spot. And unless your peripheral vision is below average, you should have no problem seeing with your actual eyes anything that is beyond the left field edge of your side mirror, in this position.

[SPUCK]

How can your mirror do anything for you without the spatial reference of the side of your vehicle in view?

How do you know it's not pointed two lanes over?

When backing up how can you tell where your vehicle body is?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by SPUCK

How can your mirror do anything for you without the spatial reference of the side of your vehicle in view?

The mirror begins where your car ends. It's the most ideal position. There is no point in watching your own car. By then you've already hit whatever it is you were trying not to impact.

When backing up how can you tell where your vehicle body is?

It's right where it always is and always has been. With this setting a slight lean and you can see your car if you want.

[BigV]

Note to any drivers here with less experience:

There's no mirror system, no camera system, nothing that can adequately replace TURNING YOUR HEAD TO LOOK at your blind spot before you change positions in traffic. All this folderol about the most perfectest alignment of your mirror is fine, as long as you look where you're going before you go there.

That is all.

[Rhianne]

I'll have to look next time I go outside, I'm not even sure my car has mirrors. I usually want to see where I'm going, not where I've been.

[Aliantha]

I'm with V. If you don't turn your head to check your blind spot you're asking for trouble. The number of times it's saved me from sideswiping someone is amazing. I do a lot of highway driving, hence the need to check the blindspot and all my mirrors constantly. And by constantly, I mean I do a mirror check about every 5 to 10 seconds and never change lanes without turning to double check there's no one there, or not someone moving over from the further lane into the spot I'm going to take etc.

[Wombat]

In the UK it's common for the driver's side mirror to be flat for the inner two-thirds and curved (like Dr Hicks' mirror) for the outer one-third. It's like having one of those stick-on fish-eyes only better.

I agree that there's no substitution for a proper head-turn to check the blind spot before any lane change or other manoeuvre.

I am concerned that there are some elderly drivers who are not physically capable of turning their head far enough to do a proper blind-spot check, and consequently I wonder whether they are competent to drive.

[monster]

So, all this blind spot malarkey aside, why is such a huge field of rear view desirable? You only need to see the lane of traffic immediately to the side of you unless you're recreating The Italian Job. Wouldn't more to see add to the ever-increasing list of distractions that keep you from looking where you are going?

/devilsadvocate

[BigV]

now you're working for the devil? You are hard to keep up with!

Perhaps it is so the same field of view can be presented with a dramatically smaller mirror, thereby reducing the frontal area of the vehicle and the consequent air resistance.

/assistant to the advocate of the devil

[Rhianne]

I'm not so sure about this idea of Monster's where a smaller field of view in the mirrors means fewer distractions. I mean, would that work for the forward view too? Should we be blocking off part of the windscreen to ensure drivers can see just enough and no more?