Where should the side view mirrors be positioned?

hello

you should just be able to see about 2 inches of the side of your car... not two inches in the mirror, about a 2 inch length of the back. this gives you a reference point to know where the things you see are in relative position to you. other than that though, you don't need to see your car, it's following you. you know that already. without that though, you can't really know where the mirror is pointed and thus you don't know what you are seeing in relation to you.

krazeericeboi54

i'd go with your mom's idea just becuase u know where exactly the car is. and it gives u perception of how far before u smack the car next to you. for me, i also adjust the mirrors so i can see the lil white lines on the road, the next lane over, and the car in the next lane over behind me.

Texas Underdog

I like to be able to see (just barely) the side of my vehicle. That way I know that they are still positioned where I left them. And it helps in backing up as into a close parking space, or into the garage.

If the mirrors are positioned out a little, (like your dad says) you may not know if they have been moved by accident (or on purpose) by somebody in a parking lot or whatever. You may not notice they aren't pointing where you think they are until it's too late.

To see better into the "blind spots" I get the little stick-on spot mirrors (the rectangular ones, not the round ones) and stick them onto the lower outside corner of the vehicle mirrors.

Therefore I proclaim that your MOM is correct.
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Todd R

You should position your mirrors so that you can barely see the side of your car. By doing this you eliminate your blind side. I have been doing this since 1993 when the first articles came out on this subject. I will post web sites that tell you the best way to do this.

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/mirrors/CarTalkMirrors.pdf
http://www.topspeed.com/car/how-to-aviod-blind-spots-ar10553.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4234574.html

Remember to always look over your shoulder regardless of were your mirrors are set. I have tried to teach my girlfriend how to set her mirrors but she is insistent on being defiant and set them the wrong way but what can I do right? Do this and you will reduce not your chances of side swiping a car in the lane next to you.

jik1219jik1219

If you position them so you can see the side of your car you are limiting how much of the adjacent lane you can see up close to your car. If you position them so you can just barley see the side of your car you have much greater coverage of the lane next to you. Your dad is correct and your mom has probably had instances where she has moved over on people right next to her.

Rapid Fire

You dad is right. You already know where the side of your car is and it is highly unlikely that it is going to change it's position. Angling the mirror out a bit further reduces you blind spots also.

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