How do Adjust Your Seat and Mirrors

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by 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


Ya I agreem but people are stubborn especially if that was the way they "were taught". For my generation I think it boils down to drivers education. We were always taught to rotate our heads in order to look for vehicles in the blind spot rather than using our side mirrors in such a way where we only have to glance to the left or right to see if there's a vehicle next to you. I think, at the time, it was easier because B and C pillars weren't as thick as they are today.

My wife refuses to set her mirrors properly, yet she constantly complains that she can't see vehicles who might be in the passenger side blind spot laying blame on the manufacturer of her car for making the c-pillar so thick. It's ridiculous, not to mention unsafe, to watch her have to perform a complete head turn to see if there's a car in her blind spot. The whole process takes her 2-3 seconds which is an eternity on a busy intra-urban highway.

Of course with my mirrors set "wider", I'm in the wrong and make her freak out since she thinks that because i don't perform the 90 degree+ head/body turn that I don't know if a car is in my blind spot.

 

[buster]

Notice how close this guy sits to the steering wheel.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by buster
Notice how close this guy sits to the steering wheel.





That's about where I sit and that is what I was taught as well. A sheet of standard paper length between the wheel and the driver used to be the standard.

Has that changed?

 

[buster]

Interesting I never knew that.

PimTac, is that from the center of the steering wheel or bottom? A piece of paper from the bottom of the steering wheel touches my stomach but from the center of the wheel (due to the angle of the wheel), is 3"'s from my chest.

 

[PimTac]

I assumed it's from the center. The pictures I remember show one end of the paper on the drivers chest. I think part of that was to educate people not to get too close to the wheel to avoid airbag injuries.

This idea did pre-date air bags but was used at their inception. Today's airbags are more controlled in their deployment than the originals were. Also, the steering wheels today adjust differently than the older tilt wheel designs.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by buster
Notice how close this guy sits to the steering wheel.



Ya but remember he's not that tall, he's wearing driving shoes (thinner soles) and is driving a manual.

 

[supton]

I always found that I drove relatively close to the wheel. For years I drove stick but for some reason I don't like using my toes on the clutch--you know, stopped at a light, maybe you don't want to shift into neutral, so you're just sitting there, clutched. Foot at full extension is uncomfortable. So I sit close so that I rest my foot on the floor while pushing full down with the ball of my foot. My wife is the same height but drives with her seat a full inch back. But she also does point in ballet and is used to standing on her toes.

 

[Garak]

I've seen that one, too. I remember, dparm I believe it was, did a post like that a few years back. It is much better than how I was doing it, but the way I was trained to adjust mirrors was for driving grain truck at the farm, where you're reversing into a precise spot and have no rear window. So, I'd adjust cars the same way. It was great for backing up, but, in retrospect, not much else.

 

[vavavroom]

Adjust the side mirrors so you can see the rear corners of the vehicle. If you don't see a bit of the rear corner sof your vehicle in your side mirrors you have no reference point and can't know where exactly they are aiming. You also have to see the rear corner in order to parallel park. Buy a car with OE blind spot mirrors that virtually eliminate the blind spot. You'll still have to look over your shoulder, though, just like you must do even if your car has an electronic blind spot warning system.