[RajaTaurus]

Originally Posted by mykal shoemaker

I'm really surprised to see that still some TBHPians drive without OVRMS or don't care about it. Its basically due to our "chalta hai" attitude.
Similar way,most of our drivers never care to look for the traffic, when entering into a highway/main road from side lines.

In foreign countires, you won't get a license, if you turn your head over shoulder to see the road or traffic.

You have to practice driving using the 3 mirrors.

Unless you do that,you are poising danger to the fellow drivers.

Thats because most of them those who drive without ORVMs take driving lessons in a Maruti 800 from a 'teacher' who asks you to always look in front of your car and sit as near as possible to the steering so that you can see the tip of your car's bonnet on both sides!

Originally Posted by taranonline

driven on kangaroo roads for less than two years, and also recommended by state transport authority.

Good position for mirrors is that you should see your rear door handle.. if you drive a 4 door car . pic attached.

This is what I too tried to explain. In this setting you can see all 3 lanes at a distance. Importantly your lane and the left lane. Same way on the other side you could see your lane and the right lane. That helps you to drive safely, as you have 2 lanes in your view at any point of time. This is very useful on highway driving.

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[Sn1p3r]

I thought all TBhpians were using ORVMs and this topic will be used mostly for reference by others. However, I am amazed with various reasonings.

It is integral part of the car design and even F1 cars have them, so do not close them and drive. I can talk mostly of Delhi where people still think them as an accessory. 30% cars dont have them, 30% will be closed, 20% tilled towards themselves they mistake them for vanity mirrors (you need to see others rather than yourself), 10% for the educated rest, they know its useful to protect paint job and rest educated 10% use them most of the time to glance and get the parameters of driving RIGHT.

The position of the mirror depends on the type of mirror as well as the following,

1. individual height and habit to look. correct way is to not move your neck but quick glance (not a fixated look, please) of the eye. Remember our hands follow our sight and movement of head.

2. car that you are driving, I have to adjust the SUV ORVM (Tilt) differently for small car and sedan.

3. It also depends on the shape. As already mentioned different cars have different types. Each car has blind spot in depending on the person driving it. A 6.5 footer will find it at different angle and place than the 5 footer.

But again please make use of it. It also helps for the ones with plain mirrors to dip it a bit at night and not just focus it towards oncoming traffic as a reflector. Thanks!

Practice makes perfect.

[arvind71181]

Might already have been mentioned, but the ORVM's also serve the purpose of protecting your car from over enthusiastic two wheelers, share autos etc. If you are not having your mirrors open, they will come that much more closer to you, increasing the chances of dents, scratches etc.

And in a car like the Swift, even if the other vehicle hits your mirror, the mirror can fold to the other side and thus protect itself, unless the hit was at a very high speed.

[libranof1987]

As suggested by someone earlier, I positioned my ORVMs in a way that I could see just the tip of the rear of my car in both and the rest for the road behind.

Must say, was quite effective; gave a good picture of a car that was almost paralled in the lane on the right.

Originally Posted by arvind71181

Might already have been mentioned, but the ORVM's also serve the purpose of protecting your car from over enthusiastic two wheelers, share autos etc. If you are not having your mirrors open, they will come that much more closer to you, increasing the chances of dents, scratches etc.

And in a car like the Swift, even if the other vehicle hits your mirror, the mirror can fold to the other side and thus protect itself, unless the hit was at a very high speed.

That is some creative reasoning!

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

That is some creative reasoning!

It is a reasoning which has come from experience. I have been saved a couple of times because the mirrors were extended. Once a two wheeler scraped the mirror and mumbled and was on his way and another time, a share auto guy did the same. Thus learnt that it has its uses being open even if you dont want to use it

[RajaTaurus]

^^ I second that and have seen in actual experience. Even Metro bus drivers keep that distance if the ORVMs are open. I do the same even at parking lots. I leave the ORVMs intentionally open, so when the next guy pulls in, he could not come too close to my car to let me open my door when I come back!

[Aravindpn]

Hi,

Setting up of ORVM depends on the car and based on my experience, Palio's have worse ORVM. It takes a lot of effort to find the " object" from these small mirrors. ORVM's having more vertical height like the categories of Santro, Old Wagon R etc give fantastic views. On the top of that my Palio's window's have dark films. So on a rainy day night with windows up, its very difficult to use them. Will have to change the films to more transperent ones soon.

[ashishy]

Originally Posted by RajaTaurus

Here's a video on how to adjust the ORVMs.
And there are loads of those in Youtube.!

YouTube - AutoFocus - Are your car mirrors adjusted correctly?

I made changes as per the video and already see the difference. It is much better and the Biker blind spot is gone. Great thread.