This may be a useless thread, but I need to know how oddly it really is- the way I deal with blind spots.

As far as the



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Road entry. I have no idea how to deal with this. The slanted intersection on an old road where you are on the slant approaching the straight road, needing to veer left/straight onwards. I can't see using the porthole, and the hatch isn't good either.

My solution:

Step 1. Roll down the window and listen for cars, or watch for headlights.

Step 2. Take off like a bat out of hell


Now, as for backing into a parking space, call me a moron, but I cannot use the mirrors, or turn around (looking through the hatch) to do this. I have to turn and rest the right side of my head on the window, eyes peeking past the door frame, and watch the side of the car and how it aligns with the parking spot. Is this weird?


Changing lanes. I've become less paranoid about this, but for about 2 months, I made sure I was in the lane I needed the whole time because I could not see what was beside/rear to me at all to change. I tried adjusting the mirrors to look outward, but then I had a fear that they were too outward and without my car's body to go off of, I ended up not trusting it's placement, every time. I'm sooooo used to having that rear window to give a longer slope of viewing. It was a crutch.

Now I have keep my window open a little, and listen for another car, or drift back some and see if there is a car there, then if not, speed ahead a bit and go over.

Does anyone share any of these?

 

My Z came w/ side mirrors, so I use them. I kinda know what you mean though, the Z definitely has it's blind spots but if you take a lil time adjusting the mirrors, you can get pretty good all around visibility. To answer your question, I've never heard of anybody rolling the windows down to listen for traffic while merging. Oh well, to each his on....

 

It's not merging, it's that stop sign on a country road where you enter from a slant, but the straight road traffic doesn't have to stop. The cars come from behind and to the right of you at the worst angle.

As for changing lanes, I sort of listen for the tire roar, etc.. of other cars if they are in that bad spot.

 

this is very scary to me....do you mind if I ask how long you've been driving?

I find the visibility to be pretty good for a 2-seater coupe.

As for that odd angled intersection....just because the road points you in a bad angle, doesn't mean you have to stay that way....turn your vehicle to be more perpendicular to the road you are trying to get on to...if it makes it a little hard for people turning into you street, OH WELL, atleast you won't get T-boned because you were listening for the tire roar of that oncoming semi!!!
Be careful out there and NEVER enter a street thinking its all clear because you don't "hear" anything coming....holy crap!!

 

Road entry: For your example, learn forward and to the right to see out of the passenger side window. The passenger side mirror is also convex to give a wider FOV. You also have control over how you position the car. Don't put youself into a hard situation, especially if you know its coming; make it as easy as possible. Who is navigating this ship anyhow?

Backing into a parking place, try practicing in an empty parking lot. I can back trailers in figure 8's, but rarely do I find a need to back the Z into a parking place. When I do I don't even think about it, I just do it. I guess it just comes naturally from many years of backing up trucks and trailers.

Changing lanes: Your inside mirror is for seeing behind you. Your outside mirrors are for seeing your blind spots. The outside mirrors need to be pointed far enough out that you can see into the other lanes, but you can still barely see the rear of the car. There is no point in having your outside mirrors and your inside mirror overlap. You only need to see the same thing once. What you can't see with the mirrors, you can see with a quick glance over your shoulder.

 

well said by roast. i esp agree with this part, so to the OP please take into serious consideration

"Changing lanes: Your inside mirror is for seeing behind you. Your outside mirrors are for seeing your blind spots. The outside mirrors need to be pointed far enough out that you can see into the other lanes, but you can still barely see the rear of the car. There is no point in having your outside mirrors and your inside mirror overlap. You only need to see the same thing once. What you can't see with the mirrors, you can see with a quick glance over your shoulder."

furthermore it sounds like you're either too used to driving your old car and/or have not much experience on the road. When I first got my car I was also inexperienced and wondered how Nissan expected me to meanuver our Zs on the street. But soon enough and after I did exactly what Roast said in the previous post I became more confident, and now I am totally comfortable in any situation with my Z.

 

Google "how to adjust rear view mirrors" and you get a bunch of hits that explain how to adjust your side mirrors properly to deal with the blind spot.

A good example is this one.. http://www.motorists.com/issues/safe...t_mirrors.html

 

There is a back road down from my house that's like that, and blind spots in a car or no blind spots it's still a scary section of the road.
This is what i do. I hit the skinny peddel and pray that no one is coming.


P.S. My road is the same as you described except that about 100 yards back the road that has the right of way has a wicked curve that everyone loves to take at high speeds and if your not paying attention it can get bad quick. A lady died last yeay B/C she wasn't familar with the area and she pulled out in front of a big *** F250. The truck took the turn at about 50 and hit her square (t bone style)

JUST B CAREFUL MAN

 

I have the same problem with a nearby road. I have to turn into a very rapid two lane road, with cars coming through a curve right before. The cars usually go 120 km/h or faster.

I was gobsmacked the first time I went there. There is just NO visibility from the passenger rear 3/4.

The least dangerous way I have found is to turn into the wrong side of the road, facing incoming traffic, and then move right as soon as I can see behind me.

It's a serious flaw for a car like this I must say.

 

get one of those circular mirror addon's to the side mirror, i think they would help. I need to pick up a pair myself.

 

Before the actual merge, i make a sharp turn to the left so my car is at about 30 degrees from the highway. This way, i just have to turn my head and i can see outside the driver side window. This prevents any guessing.

 

i bought some of those little mirrors that are really convex and put them on the outside edges of my sideview mirrors.

 

That’s THE best way of adjusting side mirrors. There were studies conducted and reported in the Society of Automotive Engineers detailing that technique.

It takes a while to get used to the way things move in the mirrors, but it only takes a few weeks to adjust.

Also, make sure the passenger’s seat is forward enough so you can use the quarter window. You’ll get better sound from the rear speaker as an added bonus (these need all the help they can get!)

 

I've driven cars with much worse blind spots! 7th gen Celica was one of them. You got to use your side mirror, rear view mirror, and something few seem to do is, move their head and LOOK!

Just yesterday I had someone in a sedan being a left lane hog. I put my blinker on to pass on the right and as my front bumper is at his front door I see him coming into the right lane! This ***hole never once looked to his right and kept coming! Even when I was starting to pass him he still kept coming over! I got around him but I was inches from going onto the shoulder and he was inches from hitting me, and at 95mph it world have been a nasty sight! You have to look no matter how big/small of a blind spot you have!

 

I've never considered that there was a better way to adjust your mirrors, but after reading that article, it definatly makes sense. I'll be sure to try it!

As for using sound to check for traffic, thats a very bad thing to do. Not all vehicles make the same sound. Your best bet is to turn perpendicular to the road the best you can.

Good luck and hopefully you can adjust to become a little safer ^_^

 

I guess you just get used to it after awhile.

 

i'd bet you a six pack 90% of drivers on the road do not know the proper way to adjust their rear view mirrors cuz i always had to re-adjust mine everytime i picked up my car from nissan after service.

 

Just get cameras installed at every corner in the car and get an lcd for each camera. Then you can see everything.....you will be a god in your car, all knowing, all powerful!

 

This method doesn't work for me, because as strange as this may sound to some, I use my side mirrors to check what's behind me in conjunction with my main rear-view mirror, not just what's in the adjacent lanes. I often find that all I can see in my rear-view is the car directly behind me. But I want to know what's behind me as far back as I can see (e.g., cops, etc.), and the side mirrors do a better job of showing the 'big picture'.

I find that shoulder-checking works just fine for the blind spots with the Z. The Z is definitely better in this dept. than my last car, an S2000. With the S2, you turn your head to check the blind spot and all you see is the black fabric of the top (if the top is up, of course). I used a convex mirror with the S2.

 

Ageee.

One technique that is helpful in side mirror placement. If you can see the side of your car in the mirrors, then they are set too far in. The mirrors should be adjusted to eliminate the blind spot (primarily on the passenger side).

I like to adjust my passenger side mirror while sitting in the left turn lane. Watch the vehicles pass on the right. Adjust the passenger mirror out so that you can see the front of a vehicle before it reaches your taillights.