To adjust your driver-side spot mirror effectively, lean your head towards the driver's side window and adjust the mirror outwards until you can see the lane next to you with only a small portion of your car's rear end visible.
Spot mirrors, also known as blind spot mirrors, are small convex mirrors that attach to your side mirrors to provide a wider field of view and minimize blind spots. Properly adjusting them is crucial for safe driving, especially when changing lanes or merging onto highways.
Here's a more detailed guide on adjusting spot mirrors:
1. Preparation:
- Sit in your normal driving position. This is essential for accurate adjustment.
- Ensure your main side mirrors are properly adjusted first. Spot mirrors complement, not replace, the standard side mirrors. Your side mirrors should be set so that you can barely see the side of your own car when looking in them.
2. Adjustment Procedure (Assuming the spot mirror is already attached):
- Driver's Side: As mentioned above, lean your head towards the driver's side window and adjust the spot mirror outwards until you can see the lane beside you with a small sliver of your car visible in the main side mirror. This minimizes overlap between the main mirror and the spot mirror.
- Passenger's Side: Lean your head towards the center of the car (over the center console) and repeat the process, adjusting the passenger-side spot mirror outward to see the adjacent lane with a minimal view of your car's side in the main mirror.
3. Fine-Tuning:
- Test Drive: After making the initial adjustments, take your car for a short drive in an area with moderate traffic.
- Observe the Transition: Pay attention to how vehicles transition from your main side mirrors to your spot mirrors. The goal is a seamless transition, allowing you to maintain visual contact with approaching vehicles.
- Re-adjust if Necessary: If there are gaps in your field of view or if vehicles appear to jump between mirrors, make minor adjustments to the spot mirrors until you achieve optimal coverage.
4. Considerations:
- Convex Shape Distortion: Remember that spot mirrors use a convex shape, which distorts distances. Objects in the spot mirror will appear farther away than they actually are. This is important to keep in mind when judging distances before changing lanes.
- Mirror Placement: Spot mirrors can be placed in various locations on the main side mirror. Experiment to find a placement that works best for your viewing angle and minimizes obstruction of the main mirror's view.
In summary, properly adjusting your spot mirrors enhances your field of view, reduces blind spots, and contributes to safer driving by providing a wider perspective of the surrounding traffic.
