After one too many times of moving left into a lane and finding another vechicle that was in my blind spot just inches behind me, I desided to do something about it - I bought a Multivex Mirror.

This mirror sticks over the existing mirror. It is the same shape as the existing mirror but has a bend to it so it picks up vechicles in your blind spot. It takes a bit to get used to the distorted image, but you get used to it after awhile.

Multivex Mirrors - The Most Optically Advancec Vehicle Mirror Systems Ever Developed

 

Your right about getting used to this mirror. I put one on the pass. side only & have found for me the best time to get back into the right lane is when the car I just passed appears centered right in the mirror itself than you are good to pull over. I was a little skiddish to want to believe this but after 3 or 4 yrs. of use it has become quite reliable for me.

 

Many years ago, more than I care to remember, I took a one day course at Portland International Race Way on how to drive fast and safe. The first instruction given by the instructor was on how to adjust the rear view mirrors on what was going to be my vintage racer an XKE Roadster. He allowed that the majority of crashes on the track were caused by drivers who failed to see the other guy coming from behind on either the right or left.

1. Dash or windshield mirror adjust to dead center rear view.

2. Side mirrors adjust so that with just a slight turn of the head to the left or right you should not see any part of the rear of your car. If you can see just a bit of of your rear fender nudge the mirror outward so it just disappears.

The good driver will regularly glance at the center mirror to check following traffic, and if you want/need to change lanes check side views. If there is something there stay put.

This works even on my 04 Graphite Metalic

Still driving fast and accident free 32 years later.

 

When in doubt give her a blurp of the throttle before switching lanes. You'll scoot ahead enough to see someone if they're hiding.

 

I just lean forward in a few inches and the blind spot is gone. As for the passenger side the mirror is set to see what's very close to me and I use the inside mirror for distance. Even with having a roadster I don't encounter any problems with seeing around me when switching lanes.

 

I've posted this before but in the interests of safety I'll post it again.
Click here. Click image for larger view.

 

When the mirrors are adjusted properly, you can follow any car from your rear mirror to your side mirror to directly beside you, never once losing sight of him. In fact there is a short period of time when you can see the car in both rear and side mirrors. I learned how to adjust mirrors on the forum years ago. It took awhile to get used to but I don't have a blind spot and have not pulled out on anyone.

 

The Multivex mirrors were the first purchase that I made after getting my Crossfire. Compared to my previous ride, I felt like I needed the additional coverage provided by the Multivex mirrors and I couldn't be happier with them. I'm coming up on 5 years with the mirrors.

 

After having my Crossfire for about a week and almost hitting a Taurus that I couldn't see right next to me, I went out and bought a couple of "eyeball" stick-on convex mirrors. They go right on your existing mirror, and work great. They're available at Walmart, Target, Walgreens and other places for about $3.00.

 

onehundred80 I'm with you. This is so simple and is so comfortable after you get used to it. This should be part of the driving test.

 

I couldn't agree more. It's simple, effective and virtually unknown to the vast majority of drivers.

 

I never had a blind spot problem with 57K miles as a daily driver. I was always aware of what was going on around me by constantly checking all my mirrors. I knew to never assume there is nobody on the side of me. A touch of aggressive driving can go a long way with solving the blind spot problem. Sometimes I would look in the mirror to make sure nobody is there... then hit the gas and check the mirror again to make sure there is still nobody there. If there is still nobody there I would change lanes with confidence. If I was coming up to a stop sign where I needed to look down the road on a wierd angle, I would always position the car in such a way that I can see down the road for oncoming cars.

The key to dealing with blind spots is EVOLUTION! Know there is a blind spot. Then change the way you drive and handle the car. You have to adjust the way you drive. That is how I did it for the past 7 years without extra mirrors. Not once was I ever caught off guard!

Preditors in the wild (like sharks) have eyes in the front of their heads. The weak prey (like cows) have eyes on their sides for wider vision. If you drive your car with just a touch of aggression (like a sharlk) you will never need wide vision or fancy curved mirrors to see!

 

This is a good article. I learned from a professional driver years ago how to properly adjust your side mirrors. I believe this article says the same thing. Here's the short version:

For the driver's side, you put your head against the window and move your mirror to where you just barely see the side of the car. For the passanger side, you put your head in the center and move the mirror to where you just barely see the side of the car. It's not what most people feel comfortable with. Most like to just see the side of the car from the driver's position. This places the mirrors too far in and causes the blind spot. If you try the above then watch your mirrors as cars pass on both sides, you will see the blind spots are gone - at least they are for me.