Do You Drive? How To Use That Thing You Don't Know What is For
Without question, the side view mirrors.
The next time you pull up directly behind someone at a light and you're behind the wheel, look at the guy's driver’s side-view mirror in front of you. Do you see his face in the mirror? Of course, you do. If you don't, he probably knows how to set it correctly. Do it with the next guy and the next. You'll find most people don't.
The problem is, people aim the side views on both sides until they see their own rear fender. WRONG. You need to see the lane alongside your car.
In fact, on a three-lane highway from the center lane, you should be able to glance at your overhead rearview mirror and see the guy's car directly behind you. As he's passing you on the right (i know he's not supposed to), as he disappears from view from your center mirror, you should already be picking the nose of his car up on your passenger side-view mirror with a visible overlap between the two mirrors.
Same thing if he passes you correctly to your left. As he disappears from the center mirror you're already picking him up in your side view.
Go to a parking lot when it's not busy. Fix your seat the way you'd normally drive. Find three cars parking side by side, but with an empty parking space between the car behind you and on either side (car space car). Park in front of the bold car in the series to set your mirrors. For most people, that means adjusting both sides out and then down to begin to see the noses of the left and right sidecars.
You can also adjust them by having someone stand on either side of your car about 4–6 feet behind your car and about 6–8 feet out to the left and/or right. When you see them centered in your side view, you're in the ballpark.
Proof the setting for both sides while you're on the highway. Drive slightly lower in the center lane to encourage cars to move by you on both sides. When they disappear from the center view and you're picking up the nose of their car in the side view, you're correct.
In fact, when you lose them in the mirror and you see them in your peripheral view through the driver and passenger side glass looking straight ahead, you really know you're correct.
Looking forward you should hardly need to move your head left or right to see what's behind and on either side in your mirrors. You should only need to flash your eyes to either side.
Once the correct picture becomes clear to you, you'll start to set them pretty much automatically.
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