Help to ELIMINATE BLIND SPOTS
By Changing the Way You Set Your Side-View Mirrors
Learning to set your vehicle’s side-view mirror to help you from having dangerous blind spots is one of the most important adjustments you can make to improve your driving safety. Once your mirrors are set correctly, it will be much easier to safely change lanes and merge into traffic, because any vehicle coming up behind you will should be visible in at least one of your mirrors at all times.
BLIND SPOTS
Some of us were taught to adjust our side mirrors by sitting behind the steering wheel and turning the mirrors so we can see the sides of our vehicle. But this actually creates tunnel vision to the rear of the car, and overlaps much of what your rearview mirror already shows you. It also creates blind spots on the left and right sides of your vehicle, momentarily preventing you from seeing a vehicle that’s attempting to pass.
THE CORRECT WAY
To help eliminate blind spots, adjust your side mirrors as follows:
1. Sitting in the driver’s seat, lean over to the left until your head touches the driver’s side window and adjust you mirror outward until you can just barely see the very edge of your-car with your head still touching the glass of the driver’s side window.
2. Now, lean the same distance to your right, until your head is in the middle of the car. Adjust the right mirror outward until you can see just the very edge of the car-with your head still in the middle of the car.
3. Sitting in your normal driving position, all three mirrors should work in harmony with each other. Your rearview mirror should show what’s behind you. The left mirror should show what’s coming up on your left, and the right mirror should show you what’s coming up on your right. Before upcoming traffic leaves your rearview mirror entirely, it should be visible in one of your side mirrors-this should greatly reduce blind shots.
After you make the initial adjustments, you might still need to tweak them slightly. And driving (and backing up) with your mirrors set this way may take getting used to. Learn to rely on your rearview mirror first, and get use to what your side-view mirrors are reflecting. Once you get used to it, you should find it much easier and safer to change lanes, pass other vehicles and merge in fast moving traffic. By taking the time to adjust you mirrors correctly, you’ll be able to drive more confidently-because you will have helped to eliminate those dangerous blind spots.
Bill Jackson Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC
152 HWY 231 North
Troy AL 36081
Sales (334) 403-4704 Service (334) 403-4702
*The information being provided was obtained from a third party and is being provided as a community service. bill Jackson Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC has not verified this information and makes no representations as to the accuracy of it's content
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