After reading the discussion about rear view mirror placement I thought it might be helpful to repost a thread I started back in 27 OCT 03 when I owned a Red FFR. It's a bit long but some of you might find it useful.
Thread Title was: Interior and Exterior Rear View Mirror Adjustment
Original Post: Oct 27, 2003
I have tried over the years to explain to family members and friends, if they were interested, in how to properly adjust the interior rear view and exterior side mirrors on their vehicle. It is an unfortunate but sad truth that too many drivers do not have their mirrors adjusted correctly... and in fact are maintaining them in what should be considered a dangerous condition of adjustment, which if relied upon will fail in an emergency.
For many of us adjusting our rear view mirrors in a vehicle we are about to drive can be compared to our personal preference for the type/style of clothes we like and food we prefer to consume. Don’t make me change! Most are going to adjust their rear view mirrors the way they’ve felt comfortable with them adjusted for so many years. I’ll have 30 years in Law Enforcement this coming January and just thought I’d mention it here one last time before I retire. But for what it’s worth here it goes.
Interior and Exterior Rear View Mirror Adjustment
Inside rear view mirror adjustment: Straight forward adjusted while you are seated in a comfortable driving position behind the wheel of the vehicle. The view to the rear should allow a centered clear view of the road and vehicles immediately behind you. A good reference should allow the trailing vehicle on the highway to be centered in the rear view mirror with you as the driver moving your head as little as possible, if at all, but your eyes should see the vehicle in the rear effortlessly.
The interior mirror should have either a day/night capability or be tinted. If you drive your Cobra at night and have the original plain mirrored vintage style interior mirror installed you must be getting aggravated because of headlights from the trailing vehicle shinning in your eyes at night. You can/should tint it with an inexpensive piece of static cling window tint.
Driver’s outside rear view mirror adjustment: Unfortunately many adjust their outside mirror/s to enable themselves as the driver to duplicate the rearward view that they have established in their interior mirror. This is not only unsafe by allowing for a false sense of total rear view monitoring but it is also dangerous and can result in a collision when the mirror is used to monitor vehicle traffic to the rear side (blind side) while attempting to pass another vehicle or pull off to the side of the road several lanes over.
The outside mirror should be adjusted to allow a vehicle observed through your interior rear view mirror while passing/overtaking your vehicle to seamlessly move from the view through your interior mirror to the view in your outside mirror. Outside mirrors adjusted correctly serve two fold: 1) Because your blind spot is easily monitored meaning what you see is actually an angle directly to your left or right rear you will not be blinded or experience driver fatigue because the vehicle behind you has headlights constantly shinning in your eyes through untinted outside mirrors. 2) You really will have a panoramic view all around you just by effortlessly moving your eyes to monitor the view through all of your mirrors.
You should not be capable of viewing the complete vehicle in the rear through both your interior and exterior mirrors whether the vehicle is maintaining pace behind you or is in the process of passing you. Nor should you be required or have to look over either shoulder to your rear. That is too dangerous and can cause a collision. That is what your interior and exterior mirrors are for and if adjusted properly will perform reliably.
You do not/should not require yourself to “Look” through your outside mirror/s over the rear quarter of your vehicle. Many Cobra owners believe if they can’t see/look over their rear ends through their outside rear view mirrors they feel unsafe. It is not necessary to place your outside mirror higher than the top of your front fender because of the view you should want to achieve. At night on a multi-lane highway as a passing/overtaking vehicle’s single headlight appears in your side mirror (the side the vehicle is passing) his other headlight should linger in your interior mirror as the transition takes place. And ultimately as the vehicle begins to exit your field of view through your outside mirror he will come into your real time field of view through your peripheral vision.
At a minimum we should have one interior mirror and one driver’s side outside mirror. Proper outside mirror adjustment sounds difficult. It isn’t. But for some reason I still cannot get the majority of those closest to me to adjust their mirrors properly. I apologize for the long post. Thanks for listening and drive safely.
I only used two mirrors: the interior and one on the left side near the windscreen base. Remember that your outside mirror isn't there for you to see your rear quarter but for you to monitor a vehicle passing you several feet or yards away.
