Ok first let me preface by saying if you drive a vehicle that you cannot see out the rear view mirror well, this suggestion could be moot.

I noticed folks talking about blinds spots when driving the Z. Coup or Roadster this may help.

I had to attend a defensive driving class to get a ticket dropped i got for doing 95 in a 55 on my motorcycle. I had a good record, so the DA was kewl.


During the class the instructor talked about adjusting your mirrors to virtually remove 90% of blindspots. Ill try and keep it simple. If i dont explain it right, ill do my best to answer questions.

OK here goes. Essiantially we all have been taught by the DMV to point all 3 mirrors towards the rear of the car. Eg rear view you see behind you. Driver and passanger mirrors you see partly behind you and a little to the side because when you aim your mirrors, you see the side of your car in the mirror.

The instructor said "why do you need to see the side of your car?", " you know what it looks like" and second he said "why do you need 3 mirrors seeing the same car behind you and a little bit to the right and left?". Your rear view mirror "most the time" sees ALL you need to see directly behind you and a little to the left and right lanes.

To eliminate your left and right blind spots and avoiding looking over your shoulers to check your blind spots. Simply angle your side mirrors 35 degress (give or take) more out to the side. Simply adjust the side mirrors at MORE of an angle away from seeing the side of the car. By doing this you see more to the side of you and your BLIND spot is decreased by 95% or more.

The simple way that I do it to find the "sweet" spot. Is when traveling on the highway, i get in the middle lane and adjust the mirrors. I adjust it so that when a car is coming up on me in either left or right lane, I adjust the side mirrors so that when i see the rear bumper of the car in my rearview mirror, i can see the front of the car on either side mirror, depending on which lane of course.
By doing this, all i have to do is look at the rear view mirror or to the left and right mirrors to see all cars around me. Since i can see the car in the rearview or the side mirrors, virtually the blind spot is gone. It took me a day to get used to this, but now, i adjust all mirrors this way.

I still have the old habit of looking over my shoulder, but its diminishing slightly all the time. I never have a problem seeing cars in the "Z" or my 4x4 ranger, or any other car i have driven.

It really works and i suggest giving it a try. If you have any questions let me know. Im sure i can find a graphic somewhere if need be, or try to draw one up, but my artistic skills are terrible.

Good luck and happy driving.

 

yes i've been doing that forever! This really works! but whenever i try to tell or explain it to anybody else, their eyes just glaze over and the just don't want to change their old ways.

here's another explanation with with pictures that will help.

http://cartalk.cars.com/Columns/Arch...vember/07.html

 

Big thanks man!!

 

yeah, I started doing that since last year, takes a little getting used to. And seeing cars pop up all of the sudden in side mirrors are a little spooky, but definately takes away the blind spot.

 

I have always set my mirrors this way. I thought you where talking about how useless our rear view mirror is until you figure out how to adjust it.

 

Performance driving schools will teach this to you as well. When you think about it, though, it should be somewhat common sense. Too bad the DMV teaches you to go against your instincts.

 

I did the following to set up the mirrors for maximum viewing.

1. Tilt the rearview mirror angle up until you see the rear window in the bottom half of the mirror. This way you will see the greatest distance out the back. It's not great - and I may not be as tall as you - but that's the best it will do.

2. Lean your head to the left until it practically touches the window, then set your left mirror so that you can just barely see the left side of your car. This way, when you sit up straight, you have your blind spot covered.

3. Lean to the right - over the center console - and set your right mirror similarly.

Once I set up the mirrors this way, they really worked very well and I haven't had nearly the problems that I anticipated. It's not the same view that you would get from your grandpa's sedan, but it's fully adequate (IMHO).

WayneTN

 

I read about these instructions on another forum (before I came here) and I know that it works. I am more comfortable changing lanes in the Z with the new mirror setup (versus the conventional "looking at the side of the car" type). I mean, I always turn my head to check my blind spot anyway, but I use the mirror technique to support my lane changing decisions.

 

Great advice. Will give it a shot.

Thanks.

 

Well, eight years ago, back in PR and doing my drivers test, I passed it because I looked over my shoulder before changing lanes. My brother failed the same day because he didn't. Guess DMV are the same anywhere...

 

Yeah, back in the day before I figured this out I basically never even used the side mirrors. When a car is coming up beside you in the next lane you can watch it in the rear view mirror up until it gets right up on you, then you see it appear in the side mirror just as is isn't visible in the rear. Good stuff.

 

I do it for two years now. I have no blind spots at all. Car goes from my central mirror into my side mirror into my periferal vision.

And I don't turn my head to look over the shoulder in the Z... it's pointless... I can't see blind spots anyway. So it just waste of time and concentration. I use only my mirrors and I know I can be 100% sure.

To adjust side mirrors I slowly pass some parked car or waiting on the light car and I adjust mirror so when I stop see it with periferal vision It came into my side mirror.

The only thing that bothered me all this years was: why the hell they teach us to point mirrors all in one spot? And away from blind spot? It so obviously wrong? Or am I missing something?
Glad to hear they start teaching it new way at least somewhere...

 

I test drove a Z this weekend and didn't order one b/c of the view I had out of the rear view mirror. I'm 6'4" and if a car was 1.5-2 car lengths behind me, I could only see the bottom of their wheels. I had the seat back angled pretty far back to get the best view out of it I could. Someone mentioned in another thread that there is an adjustment to lower the mirror itself (too bad I didn't see it b4 this weekend...). Has anyone as tall as me had any luck w/ this? I didn't have any problems w/ the side mirrors (I've adjusted them out to the side for about 2 years now and it's great!). Thanks!

 

hmm....am I the only one who uses that adjust button to change the side view while moving?? For instance, when on an on-ramp, I will move the side mirror left to get a clear view of the oncoming traffic, and merge in accordingly. And while on the highway, I often move it to see what is around me.

 

I tilt all my mirrors to see me.

 

HA!