Does anyone know if there are any split mirrors that replace the standard drivers DOT side mirror. I had one like:

for my jetta and I loved it. Basiclly the outside 1/6 or so of the mirror was beveled out (there is a visible line) so that you can see your whole blindspot. Now with the bigger car, I find myself paranoid of running someone off the road. I really don't want to put one of those tacky bubble stick on mirror things.

 

Jayhawk, what blindspot are you refering to? If I want to see who is in the lane to my left I just glance at my driver's door mirror. Maybe if I understand better I can help.

 

It just seems that if a car is to the left of me, with their front end right about at my rear tire, I can't see him without moving my body forward or turning my head.

 

OK, now I understand. May I suggest then that you try adjusting your mirror. The bottom line is that you should not have any blind spots in adjacent lanes. Either your peripheral vision or your side view mirrors should provide coverage.

There are different ways of doing this, but here's how I adjust the driver mirror . . . while sitting upright in the driver's seat, tilt your head to the left until your head makes contact with the door window. At that point, adjust the driver's door mirror outward until you can just barely (and I mean barely) see the side of the car.

Once you do this, you should be able to see a vehicle in the lane to your left with just a glance in the mirror instead of turning your head. If a vehicle is right next to you, it will be out of the mirror's range but you should be able to see it via your peripheral vision.

Depending on your height and seat position, you may need to make very minor adjustments, so I suggest going for a test drive. What you want to look for is to make sure that as soon as a car in the lane left of you leaves your peripheral vision that it is then displayed in your mirror and vice-versa. This will ensure no blind spots. You will also want to do this road test (peripheral vs mirror) with the passenger side mirror.

With this setup, I never have to turn my head or lean forward to see adjacent lanes. This is much safer.

Hope this helps

 

Thanks man...good writeup... It should be on the FYI / How to section. I think I have it adjusted properly now (after a few "oops I didn't see you there's").