I guess we all adjust our external rear view mirrors the same... most driving books tell you to set them to at least see a bit of your car in the mirror. BUT for the past year I've had mine set a different way. There are some driving books that now actually teach people this way and no other... and once you get used to it, it really makes sense and is, in my view, far safer.
So here goes: when you sit in the driver's seat move your head towards the side glass (thus moving it sideways by about 200mm). Now adjust the mirror as normal to show only a tiny bit of your own car. When you move your head back to the normal driving position you'll see in effect it moves the mirror further out. Now do the same to the passenger mirror. Move your head 200mm and adjust in the same way.
What does this do? It points your side mirrors so that you can see cars in your blind spot. Simple as that. With normal mirror settings when a car moves from behind and passes you, you can follow it in the internal mirror. But there is a bit it goes "missing". When you adjust your mirrors out, it appears the moment it goes into the blind spot in your side mirror. Quite freaky at first.
It took a while for me to get used to not being able to see the car right behind me at traffic lights... but you can still see things right behind you in the central mirror. So side mirrors are used for blindspot only and are not repeating something you can see just as well in the central mirror...
Only drawback is people that use the mirrors to reverse park. You can't see the kerb without having to move your head. But my logic is that you should know the size of your car and a low speed accident (when not seeing a kerb, is minor). A high speed motorway crash on the other hand with someone in your blindspot, is a totally different matter...
I got this from another forum and nearly half the guys on it changed their mirrors this way... Some just could not get used to it, but for most the extra safety was the main reason for changing.
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[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!
iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!
http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
So here goes: when you sit in the driver's seat move your head towards the side glass (thus moving it sideways by about 200mm). Now adjust the mirror as normal to show only a tiny bit of your own car. When you move your head back to the normal driving position you'll see in effect it moves the mirror further out. Now do the same to the passenger mirror. Move your head 200mm and adjust in the same way.
What does this do? It points your side mirrors so that you can see cars in your blind spot. Simple as that. With normal mirror settings when a car moves from behind and passes you, you can follow it in the internal mirror. But there is a bit it goes "missing". When you adjust your mirrors out, it appears the moment it goes into the blind spot in your side mirror. Quite freaky at first.
It took a while for me to get used to not being able to see the car right behind me at traffic lights... but you can still see things right behind you in the central mirror. So side mirrors are used for blindspot only and are not repeating something you can see just as well in the central mirror...
Only drawback is people that use the mirrors to reverse park. You can't see the kerb without having to move your head. But my logic is that you should know the size of your car and a low speed accident (when not seeing a kerb, is minor). A high speed motorway crash on the other hand with someone in your blindspot, is a totally different matter...
I got this from another forum and nearly half the guys on it changed their mirrors this way... Some just could not get used to it, but for most the extra safety was the main reason for changing.
____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!
iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!
http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
