How do Adjust Your Seat and Mirrors

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
Some people are open minded and don't realize there's a better way until they try it. Some people are closed minded. It's amazing what a person can learn if they're open minded to hearing ideas and trying things. I mean AAA agrees with me. But I'm probably wrong.



No you're not wrong. My better half simply refuses to trust her mirrors so each side mirror looks down the side of her car and consequently she created this huge blind spot which requires her to perform a 90 degree + turn of the head every time she changes lanes in either direction. Annoying is an understatement.


Trust your mirrors people !!!



Note: For those of you who want to set your mirrors correctly (fine tuning maybe req'd) this is how it's done. Left Mirror: While sitting in driver seat place your head almost against the driver side window looking at the mirror. Adjust the mirror so that you can just barely view the side of your vehicle. Right Mirror: Lean your head over to the center of the vehicle (in line with rear view mirror) and while looking at the right mirror adjust it so you barely see that side of your vehicle. You may have to adjust the vertical angle of the mirrors based on vehicle height. Congratulations, you've essentially erased the blind spots. If you don't believe me just have someone walk around the rear of your vehicle. Now you only have to glance to your left or right rather than perform the head swivel,

The biggest adjustment people have is that they've been condition to only use the mirror to view what's immediately behind them but the reality is that they can also see what's to the left and right. Furthermore it's the location of the vehicle in your rear view mirror which dictates there's sufficient distance to move into that lane, the side mirror is used to make sure there are no cars next to you.

 

[supton]

I've tried to adjust my mirrors so I couldn't see the side of the car, but found I couldn't tell if it was the lane next to me or the lane in a county over. Maybe I just have bad spatial awareness, but I prefer to see the side of my car. Often I'll have it adjusted so I have to lean in slightly to see the fender, then I'm happy with the view. With electric mirrors on all my vehicles (what an invention!) I can tweak those to my hearts content while driving, but have always wound up back where I started from.

If I don't have enough time to snap my head around to check my blindspots then I consider myself driving too aggressively.

I didn't like the view on my truck so I added convex mirrors. I still worry about blindspots in that thing but the convex mirrors went a long ways. On that vehicle I do have the mirrors set to not see the side of the truck as I can see the the truck in the convex mirror.

Seems the only time I've had problems with blindspots is when I've changed lanes and someone a lane or more over does too. It's worse when it's two highways merging together.

Let's not even talk about blindspots induced by massive A and B pillars (I think my truck has one caused by the C pillar!).

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Trust your mirrors people !!!

I dunno, whenever I look in the mirror in the morning, I think I look fine: but then the wife sees me and says "you're not going out like that, are you?"

 

[AZjeff]

And the article the OP linked that tells you how to set up your driving position for track driving your car has morphed into a lecture on how to position your side mirrors.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by AZjeff
And the article the OP linked that tells you how to set up your driving position for track driving your car has morphed into a lecture on how to position your side mirrors.

I have heard the lecture for a couple decades though. It's old news. It's probably worth hashing out (again) as someone out there might change their habits and like the new mirror position, while the rest of us will continue to ignore. Like so many other PSA's in life.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I see so many people with their seat reclined and their head bobbin to the center or the car below the side sill :"gangsta style".

Absolutely moronic

Seat as up right as it can be, seat height so it doesn't cut of circulation to my lower under-thighs - and since I have a stick again, seat forward so I can floor the clutch pedal with a slight bend to the left knee.

I tend to have the wheel fairly high and away ( slightly bent elbows) to view instruments and so I can flail the wheel from top and bottom in case of an emergency maneuver.

 

[MCompact]

My mirrors, seat, and wheel are adjusted essentially as described in the C/D article in all of my vehicles save the Jeep. On the track I might sit just a bit closer to the wheel. It just kills me to see so-called "drivers" almost sitting on top of the wheel with both white knuckled hands gripping the wheel at the 12 o'clock position.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

With my hands?

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Chris Meutsch
With my hands?






That brings back memories.

At least the "chastising " has stopped in this thread.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by AZjeff
And the article the OP linked that tells you how to set up your driving position for track driving your car has morphed into a lecture on how to position your side mirrors.

I have heard the lecture for a couple decades though. It's old news. It's probably worth hashing out (again) as someone out there might change their habits and like the new mirror position, while the rest of us will continue to ignore. Like so many other PSA's in life.

Yes, the purpose of a correct driving position is maximum situational awareness and vehicle control. On the street, sure, get comfortable - but set up your mirrors and seat position effectively.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by Chris Meutsch
With my hands?






That brings back memories.

At least the "chastising " has stopped in this thread.



Hey, if people want to lose precious milliseconds when a construction barrel blows into their lane, or a car slides over on them, good for them. Darwin would be proud. It's how you're supposed to set your mirrors. Chastising or not, you're doing it wrong and you're not as safe as you could be if you're looking at the side of your car. You'll have huge blindspots. But, you know, keep doing what you're doing if you'd rather puff your chest out and prove you can do whatever you want. Just be sure to keep your car washed and polished so it's nice to look at in your side mirror, at the very least. Can we agree on that? If you haven't had them set that way I'd recommend a long road trip on less busy roads to get used to how cars appear in the rearview and then reappear in the side mirror.

 

[PimTac]

I'm done with your trolling and editing. You can keep your attitude.

⬛ï¸â¬›ï¸â¬›ï¸

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by PimTac
I'm done with your trolling and editing. You can keep your attitude.

⬛ï¸â¬›ï¸â¬›ï¸


Originally Posted by PimTac
I'm done with your trolling and editing. You can keep your attitude.

⬛ï¸â¬›ï¸â¬›ï¸


Trolling? Borderline. If I'm a true troll the best method would be to ignore me. But I'm not a troll any more than you with your little digs in some of your replies.

I'm passionate about the mirrors because it's saved me NUMEROUS times from hitting things on freeways. I'm honestly trying to be helpful. Probably a little sarcastic, but I do that for entertainment value.

And friends/family that have changed have said they'd never go back to looking at the sides of their cars. And it's recommended by AAA and (many) defensive driving courses.

 

[gman2304]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Not sure what track driving has to do with everyday driving?

But my seat is scooted all the way back, and I don't sit much straight up, it's tilted back a little.

Mirrors are adjusted to only see a little bit of my car for reference.


Reference for what? The side of your car will always be where it was yesterday. Don't you believe it's still there unless you can see it? Use your mirrors to maximize seeingwhat changes. The side of your car won't change. It'll always be a few feet behind you.

For reference of how close the other cars are next to me. My mirror might as well be pointed completely out.

About 1/2" of my mirror sees my car.
. Nick nailed it! I drove class 8 trucks for 45 years and you absolutely need to see a small portion of your vehicle for reference at all times. If a car passes on the right , I can see it long before the time it approaches the rear of the trailer until it pulls even with my right front steering tire by using both the large flat mirrors along with the 2 convex spot mirrors, one mounted on the right front fender of the tractor, the other at the bottom of the large flat mirrors. Many times I had to move over or blow the horn and move over to keep a car from wandering into the side of my trailer. I knew the car was wandering into my lane because I could see the space between my vehicle and the other vehicle was narrowing and I could see both vehicles. If you can't see at least a small portion of the rear of your vehicle in both mirrors, your mirrors need adjusting.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by gman2304
I drove class 8 trucks for 45 years and you absolutely need to see a small portion of your vehicle for reference at all times.

Hmm. Goes against the grain here. But google seems to confirm what you're saying. Like this one: Link

Edit: I suppose I have to admit, there is a slight difference between a truck and a car though. But interesting nevertheless.

 

[buster]

Yeah I should have stated that I was aware it said for track driving, but honestly it matches up very well with other sources as well.

Link

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by buster
Yeah I should have stated that I was aware it said for track driving, but honestly it matches up very well with other sources as well.

Link


In all the articles I've posted and how I do it, you BARELY see the back corner when your head is against the driver's window or same distance toward passenger window.

With all the mirrors on big rigs I'd guess the setup might be unique. But have no idea.

Plus, big rigs don't have a rearview mirror to see directly behind them, a huge blind spot. So you'd have to use the side mirrors for more of that purpose.

 

[buster]

The biggest improvement for me was the steerhing wheel and seat angle (110 degrees approximately). I moved the steering wheel out towards me. I'm 6'1" so it defintely helps. I previously had my seat too far back and steering wheel too far away and my arms would get tired at times.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by gman2304
I drove class 8 trucks for 45 years and you absolutely need to see a small portion of your vehicle for reference at all times.

Hmm. Goes against the grain here. But google seems to confirm what you're saying. Like this one: Link

Edit: I suppose I have to admit, there is a slight difference between a truck and a car though. But interesting nevertheless.



It's different for cars.

 

[RayCJ]

It would be easier to convince people to try the 'Wider View' method if it was presented as "An Alternate Technique". Telling someone they are doing something wrong after they've been doing it for a few decades, tends to put people on the defensive.

FWIW: "The Common Way" is very handy when parallel parking next to a curb. It's also very handy when driving in bad neighborhoods because you can see if someone (aka carjacker) is walking-up on you from the side. On the road, the 'Wide View' has strong advantages and I switched to it 15-20 years ago when I took a performance driving class.

Ray