Anyone using the SAE recommended mirror settings?

AndyAndromeda-AUS

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Why bother when you have a camera to show you wants over your shoulder.
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Goseki

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I changed over a long time ago with my previous car as it had a smaller rear window. I tried changing back with the Civic to the traditional view and it is a huge increase in your blind spot in comparison. Switched to the recommended style the next day. It's hard to adjust to, but once you're use to it, if you pay attention to the mirrors in your peripheral vision, you really have almost 0 blind spot when done right. The lanewatch is nice, but that's only on the passenger side.

Once you try the recommended way for some time, you will see just how big if a blind spot you're missing doing the traditional mirror setup and having to glance in the rear seat windows.
 

DamonS

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As an aside. I've run SAE since my first driving lesson with my dad. He always told me that I dont need to see my car, just need to see everyone elses.. It took a few days to figure out, but I feel almost blind when the mirrors are tucked in too far.
 

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I just use the little spherical mirrors instead. Also I know where I’m going to be 90% of the time, so I just glance to make sure nobody has occupied the spot I’m about to get into.

With that said, I’ll give this a try for a few days to see how it feels.
 


AndyAndromeda-AUS

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I just use the little spherical mirrors instead. Also I know where I’m going to be 90% of the time, so I just glance to make sure nobody has occupied the spot I’m about to get into.

With that said, I’ll give this a try for a few days to see how it feels.
I don't know how anyone uses the little spherical mirrors, they are so tiny you could see squat all in them.
 

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I have my mirrors set that way, but I often still do the over the shoulder check. Force of habit from learning to drive way back when with my dad and in driving school, and that extra double check doesn't hurt.
 

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I just adjusted my mirrors this morning using the SAE recommended settings, and while it did seem to provide a more panoramic view, I don't know if I can adjust to it after 20+ years of using my mirrors in the conventional way. Anyone else doing it the SAE way?
how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots-graphic-photo-323365-s-original.jpg
Been doing this for probably 8 years .Actually my wife's Altima won't adjust the mirrors out enough. It took some time getting used to but I love it.
 

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I just tried it again to see if I can warm up to it.

Two oddities that aren't that great:

1) Too much action going on in the left mirror. In the corner of my eye I am seeing objects flash at rapid pace, or something like the wall barrier on a highway. It's kind of annoying.

2) I can't use the right mirror to help me line my car up with a curb anymore, since I can't see the curb in its view.
 
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AndyAndromeda-AUS

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I found that with even seeing a small portion of my car in the side mirrors im not missing anything. Once the car is no longer visible in my side mirror it's directly beside me. I tested this, this morning while driving to work.

And I wouldn't change lanes with out a quick look my self directly beside me.
 


shogun168

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Only found out about this this year after holding a license for 10 years. Took about a week of uncomfortable driving for me to fully switch over, now it feels perfectly natural.
 

MuffinMcFluffin

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Just found a blind spot that I otherwise wouldn't have had.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So I'm stopped in a left lane where cars may go straight or turn left, because there is at least one car ahead of me trying to turn left and yielding till oncoming traffic is clear.

Myself and others would like to change over to the clear right lane, but want to make sure we aren't going to hit a car coming up fast from behind us.

The problem is that I cannot see them. My center rear-view mirror is blocked by the cars behind me, and my right exterior rear-view mirror is angled too far over to see that far down the right lane, though it's primed for a clear vantage point of that area if I want it.

This is impossible to see this view, even when turning my head around... unless I lean really far right in my car and hope that I can catch that proper angle from my right rear-view mirror.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm not stating this SAE-recommended method of changing your mirrors doesn't work, but my question is... why isn't this taught? Does this show up in the manuals? Do driver's ed teachers teach this? Does this show up on a permit/license test? Is there a reason this isn't the real norm and needs catching on or word-of-mouth to spread properly? It sounds like it's not a new, innovative practice and that it has been equipped for a long time.

I unfortunately have more issues with it than I do having them normally, especially when turning my head does reveal those blind spots (though as I agree and understand is in fact dangerous).
 
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MagicMatt

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This method sounds great.....until you hit a bike while trying to make a right-turn since this SAE method actually doesn't eliminate blind spots like you all are saying; instead it just moves them. Now, the blind spots are directly along side of your car. Someone could walk up from behind and attempt to carjack you and you'd never see them until they were at your window with a gun to your face.

Also, this makes lane-changing and paralell parking nearly impossible to do using the side mirrors.
 

Lukifer

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I actually figured this out on my own about 5 years ago, and have been driving that way ever since. It didn't take long to get used to, and it completely eliminates your blind spot.

Just found a blind spot that I otherwise wouldn't have had.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So I'm stopped in a left lane where cars may go straight or turn left, because there is at least one car ahead of me trying to turn left and yielding till oncoming traffic is clear.

Myself and others would like to change over to the clear right lane, but want to make sure we aren't going to hit a car coming up fast from behind us.

The problem is that I cannot see them. My center rear-view mirror is blocked by the cars behind me, and my right exterior rear-view mirror is angled too far over to see that far down the right lane, though it's primed for a clear vantage point of that area if I want it.

This is impossible to see this view, even when turning my head around... unless I lean really far right in my car and hope that I can catch that proper angle from my right rear-view mirror.
This is true and one of the limitations to setting you're mirrors up this way... But it's easy to push a button and temporarily adjust the mirror in this situation.
 
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IDriveACivic

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I'm still finicky about the adjustment on the left mirror. I don't really care that much about right mirror because LaneWatch has it covered.

If only Honda gives us BSM on the left, and LaneWatch and/or BSM on the right.
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