# My car is wider than I think! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 23, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322 "2014-09-23T18:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 9:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322/21 "2014-09-24T09:06:28Z")
I’m sorry if this sounds rude or mean, but if you’ve sideswiped your car into another one 4 times in 10 years there has got to be something wrong with your driving abilities. Either with distraction, depth perception, judging distances in general, or the ability to control the car. I would suggest enrolling in a driver education course and seeing if they can help you. ---
**Author:** ![MarkM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@MarkM](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MarkM)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322/22 "2014-09-24T11:57:24Z")
The width of your car is not the problem. Very few cars are significantly narrower than yours. If you’re running into things with the right side of your car you are way too close to them. You should be missing them by feet, not inches, except for something like an unusually narrow garage. I suspect you’ve been driving too far to the right for years, and maybe now your depth perception is a little off so you’re hitting things you used to miss. It sounds like you could use a refresher course from a driving school. There are instructors who specialize in helping adults learn to drive who won’t treat you like a teen. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322/23 "2014-09-24T17:12:33Z")
I remember back in the 1950s the Montgomery Ward catalog had a lighted fender guide that was attached to the right front fender of the car. In those days, the hood was much higher than the fenders. This allowed the motorist to judge the width of the car. I haven’t seen these accessories for years, but the OP could probably make one. It was just a light bulb and lens on top of a short metal pipe. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322/24 "2014-09-24T19:16:09Z")
Now there you go Triedaq, the tall corner markers that are simply a tall pole mounted at the outside corner. The o.p. can easily buy those at a truck stop. ( but I don’t think she’s reading here any more ) Since my wife lost her right eye vision …she has NEVER side swiped anything ! ( indicating the o.p. has a true problem ) she quickly learned the adaptive methods of noting your relative position to markers around you such as stripes, width of other vehicles, seams and lines in the pavement etc. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322/25 "2014-09-25T00:39:20Z")
Feedback is important- adjust side mirrors so you can just see rear tires, Then get used to keeping your car between the lane markings. Soon you will be used to where the car is on the road. This is the reason I don’t follow the idea of adjusting the mirrors to cover your blind spot and leave yourself no way to see the side of your car. Feedback it too important. By the way, trucks have been 8 1/2 ft wide plus the mirrors for quite a while now. Add some blind spot mirrors if you need them. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322/26 "2014-09-25T18:54:51Z")
Blind spot “bubble” mirrors will still show the sides of the car (very helpful with parallel parking) when the main mirrors are adjusted just away from the sides. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-wider-than-i-think/87322.md?page=1)