Check out this article by Tony Quiroga and illustration by Chris Philpot on Car and Driver that teaches you the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)-recommended mirror positions.
Check out the picture diagram below for the SAE method of setting up your mirrors.
For the past few years, various carmakers have been offering blind-spot detection systems for their cars’ side mirrors. Often complex, these systems employ cameras or radar to scan the adjoining lanes for vehicles that may have disappeared from view.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) published a paper in 1995 suggesting how outside mirrors could be adjusted to eliminate blind spots. The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror. This can be disorienting for drivers used to seeing the flanks of their own car in the side mirrors. But when correctly positioned, the mirrors negate a car’s blind spots. This obviates the need to glance over your shoulder to safely change lanes as well as the need for an expensive blind-spot warning system.
The only problem is getting used to the SAE-recommended mirror positions. The cabin’s rearview mirror is used to keep an eye on what is coming up from behind, while the outside mirrors reflect the area outside the view of the inside rearview mirror.
Those who have switched to the SAE’s approach swear by it, however, some drivers can’t adjust to not using the outside mirrors to see directly behind the car and miss being able to see their own car in the side mirrors. To them we say, “Have fun filling out those accident reports.”
What do you think? Do you have your own method of setting up your mirrors for better vision? Share your experiences and thoughts on your own methods or perhaps this SAE method...
Source : Car and Driver
2 comments ¨¨¨¨¨:
Umm. Nowhere do these diagrams explain how to adjust your mirrors. All the diagram does is critique the different mirrors and blind spots. It doesnt tell me how to adjust my mirrors except to say that they should overlap the rearview mirror. That's useless info to me.
Jane,
Read carefully. You're supposed to adjust your mirrors so that you eliminate your 'blind spots'.
Figure 1 and 4 are what your car mirrors should be adjusted to. Figures 2 and 5 are what people usually adjust their mirrors to.
I'm surprised a couple of words and a simple diagram can confuse you.
I don't think you want to have blinds spots while driving your car right? So if you read and look at the diagram, it shows you what your mirrors should look like without blind spots in comparison to the traditional mirror setup. Pretty simple right?
Do you need instructions on how to adjust your mirrors?
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