Well @RPlantz,that idea has some merit to it(similar to the cdl process) people forget driving is a privilege,not a right
Who knows what the future will bring automotive wise,if our currency gets devalued furthur and energy prices hit the ceiling-Kevin
Poor mirror use bothers me more than most things. It’s trivial to set up your mirrors such that there is no big blind spot for a car to ‘hide’ in, but people will swear that the blind spot is unavoidable. When I was a kid my family was driving home from vacation across the Mojave. We were in a big station wagon with a luggage carrier on top Huge. Out in the middle of nowhere my dad (and the rest of us, soon enough) see a woman changing lanes into us. Dad drives us off into the median, a wasteland of golf-ball-sized rocks. From the woman we get apologetic shrugs and gesuring at her blind spot. Still makes me mad.
There are vehicles that have blind spots in the mirror no matter how well you set them up. All that means is you compensate for it by turning your head.
I love the show, and Tom and Ray are great . . .
But I didn’t like it when they said most people had their mirrors adjusted incorrectly
I think it’s a matter of preference, just like left foot braking
You’re comfortable with it or you’re not
I prefer to adjust my mirrors the “wrong” way . . . not the way Tom and Ray suggest
And I prefer to turn my head, like @MikeInNH suggested
I’m just talking about regular sized vehicles
Large commercial vehicles are a whole different discussion
What’s really irritating about vehicle safety is that it seems to me there has been a lot of commercials on TV lately showing someone’s bacon being saved by a rear view camera or collision avoidance gear.
The reason which caused the entire bacon saving event to occur is brushed over.
One example would be a lady whose car slams to a halt rather than meet a semi head-on. Maybe she shouldn’t have been turned almost 180 in the driver’s seat tending to an infant in a rear child seat. Left unsaid was why the semi in the ad was also not moving an inch… 
When I first heard the “no blind spot” way of adjusting mirrors, it was a revelation to me (30 years ago) and it’s saved my bacon a few times. Now that I simply cannot swivel my head like I used to, it’s a Godsend.
One thing I have noticed about modern cars. In the effort of a Prius and others to maximize mileage, poor rearward vision along with too small mirrors make seeing anything that isn’t in the windshield a little tougher then it has to be. Huge difference in seeng blind spots between sedans with tiny worthless mirrors and the larger mirrors and squared off designs of trucks.
@db4690: I didn’t like it either.
Basically, you can set up your mirrors so that you don’t have a blind spot, by aiming both side mirrors outward. That’s the upside.
The downside is that you cannot back up precisely without reference to the side/back of your vehicle. You also cannot easily identify where a trailer is located within the lane behind you–a very important thing in a construction zone!
I frequently have to back up to a loading zone, and generally when I have to do this, my rear view mirror is obstructed by cargo. Also, every day, I have to back in to a car park that is only 12" wider than my wheels are. I have to clear my neighbors fence (every time!) but cannot be more than 6" away from it while making a left turn in reverse, or I have to start over. There is NO POSSIBLE way I can do this without being able to simultaneously see both the fencepost AND my left rear wheel well in my side mirror.
Including the body of my truck in my mirror is the RIGHT way to do things, FOR ME, given a) the type of driving I do, and b) my complete range of motion in my neck. For another person (who never backs up/parallel parks, and/or who has mobility issues), it might be a horrible choice!
For those that don’t like “Tom & Ray’s” method, you can buy one of those sticky small blind spot mirrors. My Ford Focus had one of those and worked fine.
My oldest son has a pair of those stick on fish eye mirrors on his Camaro and they work fine.
I agree about the fish eyes . . . they’re hideous, but they do help a lot
I cant turn my head like I used to,my wifes constant mantra,“can I get over,can I get over?” my reply(which incenses Her)“use your mirrors”[she doesnt use Her signal lights either]-Kevin
I have “fish eyes” and find them invaluable.
I cannot see behind me by turning my head the way I used to in my younger days. I think it’s a combination of physical changes normal to aging and the design of my current car, including “head rests” which would make seeing behind by turning my head impossible even if I were a hoot owl. With bucket seats being the normal, and head rests being mandatory, I think the old admonishment of turning one’s head to look behind the vehicle is no longer possible in most cars. That approach goes back to the old days of upright bench seats, no headrests, and rear windows upright enough and large enough to look out.
yep, there is no possible way to back out of my drive way with my mirrors set the tom and ray way. well , it s possible, but your gonna hit the house and garage…
if you do a lot of backing up you need to see the rear edges of your vehicle
I absolutely agree. I too back into both my garage and parking spaces for safety, and if I were to set my mirrors the Tom & Ray way, I’d have taken out more than a few mirrors by now.
The reason which caused the entire bacon saving event to occur is brushed over.
@ok4450
Man, you hit the nail on the head!
I was annoyed by those commercials the very first time I saw them and get even more annoyed with each viewing. I especially dislike the one with the woman slamming on the brakes to avoid the school bus while she’s attempting to back out of her driveway. The whole vehicle lurches from the abrupt stop and she breathes a sigh of relief. Why not just back out at a speed that is appropriate??? Here’s a clue, if your vehicle rocks back and forth after an emergency braking maneuver while backing out of your driveway (across a sidewalk as well), you’re going WAY too fast. The safety equipment then becomes an enabling device for ridiculous practices, not a backup aide for an already safe driver…
I’ve been using the little bubble mirrors since the mid '80s on all my cars.
One of the first accessories I get when I buy a “new” car.
I found out that they will inexplicably fail the Maryland safety inspection.
Sold my last car to a friend in MD and he had to remove them.
@ok4450 Yeah, I agree about the ads. In fact, many car TV ads show people driving like idiots. I appreciate the feel of fine machinery. A car that feels well connected is a joy to drive. The disconnected feel of my Prius is the main thing I don’t like about it, although I appreciate the engineering of the hybrid system. But these ads show people doing very stupid things. I decided many years ago that if I’m having “fun” driving, it’s probably dangerous. Note that I’m distinguishing “fun” from enjoying the feel of a well-designed piece of machinery.
“In fact, many car TV ads show people driving like idiots.”
Yeah, like driving 50mph in the snow covered woods.