samcro wrote:
... Interesting graphic. I tend to agree that it's quite difficult for things to get into the red areas without you realising, provided you're attentive.
All the driver assistance devices and technologies in the world won't help a driver who is not capable of paying quality attention. That's part of the reason why I get nervous around tiny vehicles with excellent rear visibility and additional mirrors.
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Interestingly, I note that there appears to be little benefit from adjusting my side mirrors out much more than how I currently have them set as the plastic surround that doesn't move with the mirror starts to obstruct the view.
Something like what this one calls 'Too Wide'?
I disagree with the gif's judgment, by the way.
'Too Wide' is also known as George Platzer's BlindSpot & Glare Elimination Setting. It's FINE for highways and other areas where there's no good reason to expect to be surprised by pedestrians, I.E.: non-metropolitan, non-urban settings, IF you check the mirrors every five seconds or less.
On the other hand, if you only check the mirrors when you're about to do a lane change - like, say, most Amerikans -
the BGE Setting has disadvantages ... just ask Eddie Wren.
It's why I don't use it in urban or metropolitan settings.
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I can't quite understand how mirrors can have a "magnifying" effect as they will pretty much always either be flat or slightly convex (I have yet to see a concave rear-view or side mirror on a vehicle). Convex mirrors give a wider angle of view so things appear smaller, and therefore our brains interpret this as more distant. Try looking through a very wide angle camera lens - you'll be surprised at how close you actually are to things, compared to how they appear through the lens.
I've become accustomed to Amerika's peculiar tendency to make the right side mirror convex, but every so often when I notice a mirror on my right side whenever I'm not in the driver's seat , it takes me a moment to recalibrate my visual expectations.