Drive like you ride

[3Dachs]

On Tuesday, I had to drive to Houston and back (550 miles round trip). As I was leaving Houston, it had been raining pretty hard, but traffic had picked back up to almost normal speed. I was cruising along in the second lane. In retrospect, my mind wasn't where it should have been - on my driving. Next thing I know, the truck that's half a length ahead of me to my left is coming into my lane. I hit my horn and slowed and he saw me, averting disaster. Why did he try to forcefully remove me from my lane? I WAS DRIVING IN HIS BLIND SPOT!!!! When I'm riding, I'm very careful not to ride in another vehicle's blind spot. Usually, when I'm driving, I'm careful about it too. This was just a reminder for me to use many of the skills that I've learned while riding to improve my driving too.

[St0nkingByte]

If anything riding has made me a better driver in the car. Though now that I actually ride much more than I drive I get irritated driving the car in traffic, I don't have any room to maneuver!

[themeatmanlandry]

No offense, but one of my pet peeves is the whole 'blaming the blind spot' thing.

Cars don't have blind spots, bad drivers do.

<on topic: FWIW, i am a much better driver now that i ride. i do a head check before changing lanes in my truck and everything . . . turn signals, you name it. riding a bike has conditioned me into a better driver.>

[3Dachs]

You're right. There really is no blind spot. But it's much easier to say "blind spot" than to say "Spot where you can't be seen from any mirror that requires the driver to physically swivel his head around." It's best to treat that area as a true blind spot. You can't really argue about the blind spot later with a driver who has just flattened you because you were riding in that "Spot where you can't..."

[viper94bite]

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

Cars don't have blind spots

I have to disagree with this. when I had my truck even when I did a head check if someone was driving diagonally from the rear pillar I still could not see them. At least not very well. If i was lucky i would catch a glimpse of something. My current vehicle is not to bad but occasionally someone rides in just the wrong spot and I don't notice them until I start to get over. Best just not to ride in one of the so-called blind spots. regardless.

[stp1971]

I do not call them blind spots,, I call them lazy spots, cell phone talker spots, dumb a$$ driver spots, need to get different mirrors or those little convex mirror spots.

My old duallie had those frog eye convex mirrors on the factory mirrors. With them on it I could look at the mirrors and see EVERYTHING from my 3:00 all the way to my 6:00 on the right side,, then everything from 6:00 to my 9:00 on the left side. I didn't even have to look over to my left or righ because if they weren't in the mirror then they either were in front of me or they weren't there.

Best d*mn twenty dollars I ever spent!!!! Over 400,000 miles on that truck and they never failed me. If you buy some,, buy some good quality ones that do not distort too much,, worth the dollars.

[themeatmanlandry]

Originally Posted by viper94bite

I have to disagree with this. when I had my truck even when I did a head check if someone was driving diagonally from the rear pillar I still could not see them. At least not very well. If i was lucky i would catch a glimpse of something. My current vehicle is not to bad but occasionally someone rides in just the wrong spot and I don't notice them until I start to get over. Best just not to ride in one of the so-called blind spots. regardless.

Were there mirrors? Weren't they adjusted properly? Have you ever seen those little wrap-arounds that they sell for a dollar at Auto-Zone?

There should not be *any* spot around your automobile that you can't see. None, nada, nil, zilch . . . zero. Your right-hand mirror should have been covering that spot.

[mr_resistible]

Riding has also made me a better driver. When I take corners in the car I acentuate my head turns, turn my neck, keep my chin up, and look through the corners. I used to look strait out the windshield. I also pay more attention to what is ahead of me (25 second rule) instead of just what is directly in front of me. I also head turn changing lanes now that you mention it.

[themeatmanlandry]

Yes, but do you . . . drive like you're invisible??

[Clint]

I agree. There shouldn't be any blind spots. I've read that most drivers adjust their mirros so they can see their vehicle for reference. When adjusted properly, you shouldn't see your own vehicle.

[mr_resistible]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

I agree. There shouldn't be any blind spots. I've read that most drivers adjust their mirros so they can see their vehicle for reference. When adjusted properly, you shouldn't see your own vehicle.

I had to learn that the hard way. I used to have my mirrors adjsuted so I could see my rear quater panel and amlost changed lanes into a guy. Now I adjsut them to where I can see the stripes on the road on the inside corner of the mirror. The mirror on the right gives me a good view of the ditch, but in 6 lane traffic its just right.

Its funny because if anyone sits in the drivers seat the first thing they comment on is how screwed up my mirrors are.

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

I agree. There shouldn't be any blind spots. I've read that most drivers adjust their mirros so they can see their vehicle for reference. When adjusted properly, you shouldn't see your own vehicle.

My wife has her mirrors like that and it drives me crazyyyyyyy. That last thing anyone should see in the mirrors is the car they are in.

[c50tiger]

I have been a very vocal proponent of "properly" adjusting side-view mirrors for years. Still can't convince my wife, which is why I never drive her car. To borrow a quote from Tom & Ray Maggliozi, "For years, we'd been setting our side-view mirrors so that they gave us a view of the back corner of our cars. This is the way it's been done for generations - from grandfather, to father, to us! But we finally discovered something very interesting. The back corner of the car never moves. It always stays in the same exact place. So there's really no reason to keep an eye on it.

By moving the side mirrors farther out, you can line up all three of your mirrors so they have minimal overlap -- and you can see everything behind you and beside you."

following this link will lead to the Cartalk.com site with graphic illustrations, but the easy way is this:

1) set the inside rearview mirror as usual.
2) lean your head against the drivers side window, then set the driver's side mirror so that you can just see the rear quarter panel.
3) lean so that your head is about centered between the driver's and passenger's seats, then set the passenger side mirror the same way - - so that you can just see the starboard rear quarter.

End result, by the time an approaching vehicle exits your rearview, it's already in the side view. By the time it exits the side view, it's well within your peripheral vision (barring you having any vision problems, of course). Negates the need for any of those stick on convex mirrors.

Granted, it does take a little getting used to... and no more cheating and using the side mirrors when backing up (which isn't cricket in the first place). but now it drive's me nuts to drive a car that isn't set up 'properly'.

[NewEvolution]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

When adjusted properly, you shouldn't see your own vehicle.

Well. Whaddayafreakinknow. I just learned something.

Now that I think about it, I feel like a bit of a moron for not coming to this conclusion myself, but the "see your own quarter panels" alignment is what I (and everyone whose car I've ever driven for that matter) has always had. That changes tomorrow.

On the upside, that whole thing has taught me to do a full head check every time before changing lanes, etc, regardless of vehicle. And I've always driven like I'm invisible...becuase the other drivers out there sure seem to think I am.

[Clint]

Thanks for coming around, but you're two weeks late. Sorry, but you've missed the deadline.

[Trapper]

I changed my mirrors in the Van before the deadline. I must say it takes some getting used to. I never really used the rear view (inside car) mirror as much as I should have.

[skullman91]

i always adjust my mirrors so i can see in the lane next to me no matter what, just out far enough where theres a hint of my rear quarter.

[blackie1491]

I use my wifes car as I got rid of mine rather than my wing, I change her mirrors all the time. It is a contest between us. I loose everytime.

[AceGS500F]

Originally Posted by St0nkingByte

If anything riding has made me a better driver in the car. Though now that I actually ride much more than I drive I get irritated driving the car in traffic, I don't have any room to maneuver!

I definitely agree... especially after the MSF course... the 2 second rule has definitely kicked in...

DC/VA traffic around here is insane... major highway construction has made it worse... Being in my car drives me nuts... I'd much rather be able to move around in my bike...

[citizenstitch]

my car sucks, so i drive that thing slow. every year something else breaks and the frown on my face gets bigger. nothing has made me happier then beign able to enjoy being on the road, going fast or being patient.