How to set your mirrors

[mattyfez]

Yeh I always do a shoulder check when merging or changing lanes... wingmirrors I tilt out so the side of the car is just out of view, that way I maximize view, whilst I know the car body is inline with the edge of the glass.

 

[megakid]

I could NEVER change lane without shoulder checking.....it's instinctive even in a car.

Agreed - When I first started driving years ago I did it most of the time but occasionally I'd not check. I didn't once when I casually moved out a lane on the M25 in reasonably fast flowing traffic with nothing in my mirror, once my manuever was complete I checked my rear view mirror and BAM this black Fiat was filling my entire rear screen - luckily I had indicated well before I slowly moved across and the guy in the outside lane who must have been alongside me had seen and dropped back during my lane change.

I got a serious bout of the sweats after that and have always checked over my shoulder from then on.

Funnily enough, I went on a skidpan day in Sydney and we had a little session before where the instructor sat in someone's car as we gathered around and told us all about seat position etc then went onto say you should never check over your shoulder as it's what's going on in front of you that matters most, and these days cars don't have blind spots - I thought at the time it was a load of crock and have had it confirmed many times.

 

[Fuzz]

I don't know what all this looking at peoples mouths in the rear view is all about, I've only ever noticed eyes staring back at me. (usually trying to work out if the female driver in front is hot or not )

Anyway, the door mirrors on all my cars are set to just show a sliver of the sides of my car so I can gauge widths when parking.
What I do hate is door mirrors that auto dip when you engage reverse. Who invented that ****e!
What use is looking at the bloody tarmac. I swear a woman invented this lame ass movement.

Oh and shoulder checks, lots of them. Something seriously lacking in todays drivers. much the same as these people who step out in to the road or cycle into the road without a single look in the direction the traffic is coming from. Who is breeding these ****ing idiots.

 

[Sin_Chase]

What I do hate is door mirrors that auto dip when you engage reverse. Who invented that ****e!
What use is looking at the bloody tarmac. I swear a woman invented this lame ass movement.

I wish my car had auto dip wing mirrors.

I do it manually when parallel parking so I can get as close as possible without kerbing alloys. It's very useful.