Proper side view mirror positioning could save your life. Most are doing it wrong!

Younger people may be being taught correctly now but I don't know. I just know that everyone must adjust their mirrors like this.

Years ago I read a truck drivers blog about how to position your side view mirrors. Did you ever go to switch lanes on the freeway only to find out you almost killed yourself and everybody else because you turned your head just in the nick of time? That used to happen to me once in a great while and I see it happen over and over again to the traffic in front and behind me.

The reason this happens is because we have been taught to position the mirrors so we can see our rear side panel of our car in the mirrors while in normal driving position. This is the absolute wrong way of positioning the mirrors. This is an accident waiting to happen.

The proper way for the left side is to lean your head to the left until it touches the window. Now position the mirror until you see the edge of the rear panel of the car.
For the right side lean over to the right as far as you can and position the mirror until you see the edge of the rear side panel of the car.

You have now eliminated all blind spots on the left and right. Nothing coming up behind you will go unseen now.

It takes some getting used to not seeing your rear quarter panel in the mirror but after ten years I have never had a close call or made the mistake of moving to the other lane unsafely. I now notice the vehicle coming up behind me in my cabin rear view mirror and then I can immediately see it in my left or right rear view side mirrors as it moves out of view of my cabin mirror (This is while a vehicle is starting to pass me). No blind spots! Woo Hoo!

Now I just drive and see the other people in traffic changing lanes and almost causing severe accidents. I still turn my head out of habit but I know I don’t really have to anymore.

Recently I have used other peoples’ cars or they have used mine and the mirrors are always set incorrectly. I don’t know why they don’t have this vital information on the news over and over again because it would make the roads much safer.

For people with trailers they will just need to lean to the left or right when backing up but they usually do this anyway.

Most truck drivers are taught this and it’s been the SAE-recommended mirror position since 1995.

You don’t have to believe me though. Check these links for even more specific instructions and be sure to tell your friends, family and even your enemies because we’re all on the same roadways together.

[link to www.wikihow.com]


[link to www.caranddriver.com]