Blind spot

[LAinVA]

I went to the one day owners M School this past summer and proper seat and mirror adjustments were the first thing we were taught to do before we hit the track! Just like Quicksilver and soldmystang describe. It completely changed the way I drive.

and

It was the first thing I did this morning as I took delivery of my new, Space Gray '08 4.8 X5!!! The new iPod interface is great, but I just listened to my engine the whole way home.....

[Porando]

Nice article, nicely written, nice pic and drawings though highly inaccurate and very “unscientific”

First : there are cars with almost no blind spot and there are cars with huge blind spot - all depends. Also mirrors have different filed of view. So, applying this theory to the whole car population is not the right approach.

Second: one needs to remember that the whole idea is to make sure that driver wants to see cars around him – specially on adjacent lines by looking into both rear view and side mirrors. In any of these adjustments – nobody should assume that there is no more need to look through your shoulder before making maneuvers. The issue is that if we see cars around us all the time – it is less likely that we miss one by turning our head

Also one needs to keep in mind that in different parts of this world lines have different widths and the whole idea is to see cars on adjacent lines so this drawing and theory must be adjusted accordingly.

Driving today I "played " with both adjustment in my X5 and there is huge difference what you see.

In “std”= narrow adjustment – there is a spot where I can’t see at all in any mirror cars passing me on left (drivers side). I can see them only when I turn my head a lot – through the rear side window .
If I have shades pulled up on my rear side windows – I may easily miss it.

In wide adjustment – there is no “dead” zone but quite a lot of overlap between the rear and side view mirrors. Mirrors in my X5 have much wider filed of view than on the droving so I can see cars in my rear view mirror and as they approach me I start to see some overlap than see the whole car in side mirror and if car starts to disappear from the side mirror – I already see its “nose” in the corner of my eye through my drivers window.

And I agree that by moving mirrors I do not eliminate 100% blind spot but make it smaller and move it to a different location.
What I risk is not seeing smaller vehicles like motorcycles which “split” the lines, which can be very close to my car - around its rear corner.
However, my position on this is that it creates much less risk – as motorcycles don’t “split” lines at high traffic speeds and if worse comes worst - I would rather collide with motorcycle (sorry bikers) than another SUV.

[AzNMpower32]

I wish I could get my hands on the European-spec wide angle mirrors, but they cost a fortune especially when auto-dimming.

I don't think I have a blind spot, but I did learn from the BMW Driving School instructors on how to set your mirrors........which happened to be the way I had them set anyways.

[Quicksilver]

As always different strokes for different folks. Just do what you gotta do to be safe.........