How to set car mirrors correctly...

[Grandpa Bambu]

How many days post-surgery should one wait before operating a car? 2? 3? 7?

I was able to drive as soon as the drugs wore off.

Being able to drive a car post-op is very much a personal issue. We all heal at different rates and have different thresholds of pain/discomfort... The best thing to do is to try it dude... If you feel any discomfort what-so-ever, give it another day or two...  It's just common sense...  

I'm mostly concerned about being able to being able to shoulder check.

If you adjust your mirrors correctly, you don't need to do a shoulder check!!! I find it odd that student drivers are not taught to adjust their side mirrors correctly. I took a driving course when I was learning to drive ( many moons ago... ) and not once were we taught how to adjust the side mirrors for optimum vision to the side/rear... To set your mirrors correctly, run the mirrors (most are power these days) to the fully 'out' (away from the side of the car) position. Then just back them in slightly. Now they are set for optimal side/rear vision... without the need to shoulder check!!! With your mirrors set in this position, you can follow the car behind in your rear view mirror (RVM) and as soon as you start to loose sight of the car in your RVM, you should have sight of it in your side view mirror (SVM). Just before you loose sight of it in your SVM, your peripheral vision will pick it up. So... if you can't see a car in your RVM, or your SVM, or in your peripheral vision, then there aint anything there! Annnnnddddd.... you not once had to do a shoulder check!!!

See... I'm thinking that most people feel the need to see the side of their car when they look in the SVM's. However, I too, at one time, was guilty of this redundant practice. If you can see the side of your car while looking in the SVM's... then you don't have your mirrors set correctly.

It's amazing how many drivers set their mirrors this way (being able to see the side of the car in the SVM's). Why would you want to see the side of your car in the mirror?   You know it's there. What you do need to know, is what you don't know is there!!! As I am driving, I look at where other drivers mirrors are positioned in relation to the mirror housing. A good 95% (just an approximate guess) of drivers have their mirrors set incorrectly...


GB...

[headheldhigh01]

i'm a philistine, i added on one of those little small panoramics.  great for the blind spots, especially at night  

[GoldenGate]

Haha, it seems so simple and obvious, but I have been driving around partially looking at the side of my car for waaay too long.

Doh!

The next time I drive my car I will set my mirrors like you described and follow up here!  Thanks for posting this.

[GoldenGate]

GB, I tried it out yesterday, and you are in fact very correct.  It was very odd to look in both of my side view mirrors and not be able to see directly behind me, but now I actually have a continuous line of vision from my rear view to my side mirrors.  I can see how once my mind readjusts to this it will definitely be beneficial.  I wish I had tested different mirror settings sooner.

Thanks again for the great advice.

[headheldhigh01]

just don't overdo it, or you could have a large blind spot. 

i put one of those panoramics on my main mirror and it's been a real help too, i won't go back to the narrow flat ones now. 

[CodySockeye]

Unfortunately, my mirrors like to adjust themselves when I drive along. Old truck, so it's understandable. But I find I am constantly moving my rearview mirrors. It gets annoying since they are not power, haha.