Mirrors are a crucial driving tool for both the race car driver and the driver on the street. In a race car I constantly scan the view behind me to determine whether I'm pulling away from my competitors or whether they are catching me. In a close racing situation I can monitor on which side a driver is trying to pass and can drive defensively if necessary to make that job as hard as possible for him or can move aside to let him pass safely.
Race cars don't, typically, have a rear view mirror, and the field of view of side mirrors is limited. The racer has to get his mirrored information from quick and infrequent glances at times when information from behind him is more critical than information from the front.
For the street driver, mirrors are much more informative and much more important. The passenger car driver should make adjustment of the mirrors a part of his pre-start routine, checking to make sure that they are properly adjusted after fastening the seat belt but before starting the car. Ideally, your three mirrors should be positioned on the car so that you don't have to move your head to see them. While this is not always achievable, it is usually possible to adjust your mirrors so that they can be viewed with a minimum of head movement. If you have to lean, scrunch or crane to use any of your mirrors effectively, readjust them or, if necessary, move them for easier viewing. Scanning all three of your mirrors should only take your attention from the road ahead for a split second.
Passenger cars have three mirrors for a reason. To focus all three mirrors on the same area is redundant and wastes their usefulness. The center, rear view mirror should look almost directly to the rear of the car and should be adjusted to cover all of the rear window and as much of the rear side windows as its field of view will permit. When it's properly adjusted, the bottom of the car's rear window should be just at the bottom of the mirror. There's no driving value in being able to see into the back seat of your car.
The left and right side mirrors should be adjusted to show just the smallest hint of their respective sides of the car. When these mirrors are perfectly adjusted a car passing you should move seamlessly from your rear view mirror to your side mirror to your peripheral vision without ever being out of your sight. Most cars have one or more side "blind spots" which aren't readily seen in the rear mirror or by the driver's turning his head. Proper adjustment of the side mirrors will enable them to cover these blind spots so that the driver is never unable to see nearby traffic.
The heavier the traffic in which you're driving, the more often it is necessary to scan your mirrors. If you're working on developing a habitual scanning pattern while you drive, all three mirrors should be a central element of your scan and should be looked at no less often than every 30 seconds. Awareness of the status of traffic immediately behind and beside you will allow you to take evasive action, when it's necessary, with confidence and safety. The importance of using your mirror -- combined with a turn of the head -- before routinely changing lanes cannot be overemphasized. Look before you signal, signal before you move.
If for any reason you are unable to use your rear mirror, whether because your rear window is blocked (even though it shouldn't be) or because you're being followed by a much larger vehicle, readjust your side mirrors inward to cover slightly more of the road behind you and slightly less of the road beside you. If you can't easily adjust the right side mirror from the driver's position, leave it in place but compensate with the left side mirror. Don't neglect to take your reduced visibility into account, however, and adjust your driving style accordingly. Return your mirrors to their ideal position as soon as the obstruction is gone.
Many drivers find that the addition of a small, convex stick-on mirror to one or both of their side mirrors gives them a valuable second view of the area around them. Your side mirror may be large enough to accommodate one of these; if it is, they're worth a try. I'm very partial to Multivex mirrors, both on my race cars and on my personal cars.
With properly adjusted mirrors and a little practice in quickly and frequently scanning them, the passenger car driver can always know the traffic conditions in his immediate vicinity, just as the race car driver should.
Copyright © 1998 by Tim Moser of Silhouette Racing. All rights reserved.
