Redundant wing mirrors?

kelsen

I've noticed recently cars being driven on the road with their nearside wing mirror folded in. Is this a trend that people have started copying? Is it even legal? It says a lot about the driver's attitude and awareness to what's around them!

bompington

If you don't use it, why have it sticking out and increasing your fuel consumption?

daviesee

Only legal requirement is for a driver's side mirror.

For most drivers, the other mirror is to make the car look balanced from what I have observed.

Hence filtering can be dangerous.

gtvlusso

I have noticed a similar trend....

I was taught to drive in a van, hence wing mirrors are always useful; In fact, I do all reversing solely off wing mirrors (probably a bad thing to do!).

Shows a complete lack of care and observance by the driver IMHO = avoid at all costs when on a bike. :shock:

Also noticed a really high number of people who have no idea how big their car is; i.e. not going through gaps you could land a jumbo in, holding up traffic and braking without good cause - This does my head in!!! If the car is too big for you to judge, buy a smaller car!

Another 'pet hate'/lack of care;

I ride through a housing estate with 'chicanes' on the main access roads. The effect of the chicanes is that traffic has priority one way - as indicated on a massive sign by the chicane. I am always careful to adhere to the priority as braking is obviously more limited on a bike.

Yet, week in and week out as I ride through with priority on my side, I get so many cars that simply drive at me disregarding their lower priority - I hasten to add that in all cases so far it has been female drivers (honest guv!). This could be because of a high level of female drivers in that area or coincidental to the time of day...however, as this has gone on it is looking like a lack of care. I.e. He's on a bike, it doesn't count.....

alan_sherman

It is laziness - they fold them in when parked so they don't get hit. Then don't bother to walk around the car to fold it out when they next drive off.

Use it as a danger sign, like a car being driven with fog lights on when sunny, or a car with a taxi sign on the roof....

rjsterry

gtvlusso wrote:

I have noticed a similar trend....

I was taught to drive in a van, hence wing mirrors are always useful; In fact, I do all reversing solely off wing mirrors (probably a bad thing to do!).

Shows a complete lack of care and observance by the driver IMHO = avoid at all costs when on a bike. :shock:

Also noticed a really high number of people who have no idea how big their car is; i.e. not going through gaps you could land a jumbo in, holding up traffic and braking without good cause - This does my head in!!! If the car is too big for you to judge, buy a smaller car!

Another 'pet hate'/lack of care;

I ride through a housing estate with 'chicanes' on the main access roads. The effect of the chicanes is that traffic has priority one way - as indicated on a massive sign by the chicane. I am always careful to adhere to the priority as braking is obviously more limited on a bike.

Yet, week in and week out as I ride through with priority on my side, I get so many cars that simply drive at me disregarding their lower priority - I hasten to add that in all cases so far it has been female drivers (honest guv!). This could be because of a high level of female drivers in that area or coincidental to the time of day...however, as this has gone on it is looking like a lack of care. I.e. He's on a bike, it doesn't count.....

Or a combination with a reversal of your previous point: he's on a bike, they're really thin, I can get through there.

jrduquemin

daviesee wrote:

Only legal requirement is for a driver's side mirror.

For most drivers, the other mirror is to make the car look balanced from what I have observed.

Hence filtering can be dangerous.

The legal requirement is for a side mirror and a rear view mirror.....

bails87

Use it as a danger sign, like a car being driven with fog lights on when sunny, or a car with a taxi sign on the roof....

Or if the driver is wearing any form of headgear.....

Edit: the Panama hat on the parcel shelf also applies.

daviesee

jrduquemin wrote:

daviesee wrote:

Only legal requirement is for a driver's side mirror.

For most drivers, the other mirror is to make the car look balanced from what I have observed.

Hence filtering can be dangerous.

The legal requirement is for a side mirror and a rear view mirror.....

Sorry. I thought the rear view mirror was a given for a passenger car. Not sure how it works for vans with no rear windows. Both side mirrors I presume.

kelsen

gtvlusso wrote:

Yet, week in and week out as I ride through with priority on my side, I get so many cars that simply drive at me disregarding their lower priority - I hasten to add that in all cases so far it has been female drivers (honest guv!). This could be because of a high level of female drivers in that area or coincidental to the time of day...however, as this has gone on it is looking like a lack of care. I.e. He's on a bike, it doesn't count.....

Jumping onto their bonnet and riding over them with one of these would soon discourage that...

(BTW, googling 'trials bikes' opened up a whole new world for me! Echo? Inspired? Koxx? Onza? Felt a complete newb! :shock: )

gtvlusso

rjsterry wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

I have noticed a similar trend....

I was taught to drive in a van, hence wing mirrors are always useful; In fact, I do all reversing solely off wing mirrors (probably a bad thing to do!).

Shows a complete lack of care and observance by the driver IMHO = avoid at all costs when on a bike. :shock:

Also noticed a really high number of people who have no idea how big their car is; i.e. not going through gaps you could land a jumbo in, holding up traffic and braking without good cause - This does my head in!!! If the car is too big for you to judge, buy a smaller car!

Another 'pet hate'/lack of care;

I ride through a housing estate with 'chicanes' on the main access roads. The effect of the chicanes is that traffic has priority one way - as indicated on a massive sign by the chicane. I am always careful to adhere to the priority as braking is obviously more limited on a bike.

Yet, week in and week out as I ride through with priority on my side, I get so many cars that simply drive at me disregarding their lower priority - I hasten to add that in all cases so far it has been female drivers (honest guv!). This could be because of a high level of female drivers in that area or coincidental to the time of day...however, as this has gone on it is looking like a lack of care. I.e. He's on a bike, it doesn't count.....

Or a combination with a reversal of your previous point: he's on a bike, they're really thin, I can get through there.

This is True!

However, the road is block paved and falling apart at the edges where the car wheels track, so I take primary where the paving is more stable.....this usually equals some swervy action. Sadly, my skills do not facilitate me hopping over the car in a BMX style....as much as I would like to.

mudcovered

gtvlusso wrote:

[This is True!

However, the road is block paved and falling apart at the edges where the car wheels track, so I take primary where the paving is more stable.....this usually equals some swervy action. Sadly, my skills do not facilitate me hopping over the car in a BMX style....as much as I would like to.

I've taken to just stopping in this scenario and making them reverse if I can. :twisted:

Mike

Ride hard

daviesee wrote:

I ride through a housing estate with 'chicanes' on the main access roads. The effect of the chicanes is that traffic has priority one way - as indicated on a massive sign by the chicane. I am always careful to adhere to the priority as braking is obviously more limited on a bike.

Yet, week in and week out as I ride through with priority on my side, I get so many cars that simply drive at me disregarding their lower priority - I hasten to add that in all cases so far it has been female drivers (honest guv!). This could be because of a high level of female drivers in that area or coincidental to the time of day...however, as this has gone on it is looking like a lack of care. I.e. He's on a bike, it doesn't count.....

It’s like I said to some guy who did the exact same thing to me this morning, it’s the “It’s only a bike” mentality ie I don’t care if I can’t fit through that gap/overtake safely/don’t give way as I know I should if it was another car*, they (the cyclist) is small and insignificant I’m in a CAAAARRRRRRRRR!!! (Said in a Braveheart sort of way).
*(delete as appropriate)

CiB

gtvlusso wrote:

I do all reversing solely off wing mirrors (probably a bad thing to do!).

Yeah - the woman who reversed into me last summer was doing that, carefully looking in each side mirror but completely failing to spot me stopped safely 15 yards behind as I'd assumed she would reverse a bit to allow the lorry in front to complete its manoeuvre. If she'd bothered to look over her left shoulder or even in the internal rear-view jobby she might have spotted me before I had to leap from the bike whilst banging on her boot lid encouraging her to stop, which she did once she'd pushed my bars to an angle of about 60 degrees off the straight.

Kieran_Burns

alan sherman wrote:

It is laziness - they fold them in when parked so they don't get hit. Then don't bother to walk around the car to fold it out when they next drive off.

Use it as a danger sign, like a car being driven with fog lights on when sunny, or a car with a taxi sign on the roof....

Walk around the car to fold them back? I don't understand, I have a control on the door for that.... :P

alidaf

I read an interesting article somewhere (cracked.com I think) that gave a list of things that people could do easily to help avoid accidents. One claim was that the vast majority of people have their mirrors incorrectly positioned - there was some diagrammatic information on the theories but it seemed fairly convincing. I've readjusted my mirrors as a result. Apparently we shouldn't have the sides of the car visible. I'd always used the sides of the car as a guide for reverse parking! As a result I nearly killed a neighbours cat reversing into my drive but the near panoramic view was a delight.

davmaggs

alan sherman wrote:

It is laziness - they fold them in when parked so they don't get hit. Then don't bother to walk around the car to fold it out when they next drive off.

Use it as a danger sign, like a car being driven with fog lights on when sunny, or a car with a taxi sign on the roof....

+1

not a trend, just morons who didn't check before they set off.

BigLights

I believe, but haven't double checked, that the minimum requirement is to have 2 mirrors. so, for a van, it's 2 side mirrors. In some old cars you'll see a rearview and 1 side mirror. But anyway.

It really bugs me - clearly these are drivers who are not paying attention to what they're doing. I have been known to fold the mirror back OUT again, prompting a barrage of abuse. But WTF people, I mean, WTF.

kelsen

alidaf wrote:

As a result I nearly killed a neighbours cat reversing into my drive but the near panoramic view was a delight.

That's a bit drastic isn't it? It was probably just stalking a mouse and didn't mean to trespass.

EKE_38BPM

bails87 wrote:

Use it as a danger sign, like a car being driven with fog lights on when sunny, or a car with a taxi sign on the roof....

Or if the driver is wearing any form of headgear.....

Edit: the Panama hat on the parcel shelf also applies.

There was a driving game on the Dreamcast (it was a games console that came out in the last decade of the last century) that on the bottom corner of the cover had a symbol implying "No hats". Something like a trilby in a red circle with a red line through it.
Kind of like this:

but with a trilby, implying that no-one who wears a hat should play the game.

alidaf wrote:

I read an interesting article somewhere (cracked.com I think) that gave a list of things that people could do easily to help avoid accidents. One claim was that the vast majority of people have their mirrors incorrectly positioned - there was some diagrammatic information on the theories but it seemed fairly convincing. I've readjusted my mirrors as a result. Apparently we shouldn't have the sides of the car visible. I'd always used the sides of the car as a guide for reverse parking! As a result I nearly killed a neighbours cat reversing into my drive but the near panoramic view was a delight.

I was taught that you shouldn't have the sides of your car visible in the mirrors, but just out of view from your normal driving position. When parking I move my head slightly so that I can see the sides of the car, but in normal driving it is just not necessary.

daviesee

alidaf wrote:

....As a result I nearly killed a neighbours cat reversing into my drive but the near panoramic view was a delight.

Why was a cat reversing into your drive?

People reversing into my drive annoys me so I can only imagine how upsetting it would be to see a cat reversing up the drive. With that panoramic view you would have had a clear line of sight too!

Kieran_Burns

You need to be able to see SOME of your car in the side view mirror so you have a fixed reference point, As long as you aren't able to see your rear seat passenger waving when you look (I have mine set so the boot is just visible) it must be okay?

I agree about the rear view mirror being slightly off-set, turning your head becomes an automatic and visible check when you are looking.

Drfabulous0

I'm sure it's any two out of the side mirrors and the the rear view which is required by law.

I don't drive myself but when I did it was nearly always in a van so I was used to using the side mirrors and if I drove a car I would ignore the rear view. I agree it seems irresponsible but if you don't use it does it actually make any difference? It seems to me that it may be much like some opinions I get for riding my fixie with only a front brake, I don't think it's unsafe but if I'm proved wrong it will probably be too late to matter.

But drivers would be mightily pissed off if you folded their mirrors in for them, if I see this I am tempted to unfold it just to see the reaction.

Headhuunter

kelsen wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

Yet, week in and week out as I ride through with priority on my side, I get so many cars that simply drive at me disregarding their lower priority - I hasten to add that in all cases so far it has been female drivers (honest guv!). This could be because of a high level of female drivers in that area or coincidental to the time of day...however, as this has gone on it is looking like a lack of care. I.e. He's on a bike, it doesn't count.....

Jumping onto their bonnet and riding over them with one of these would soon discourage that...

(BTW, googling 'trials bikes' opened up a whole new world for me! Echo? Inspired? Koxx? Onza? Felt a complete newb! :shock: )

You mean you haven't seen these bikes around? Maybe it's just the yoof of souf east London....

kelsen

Headhuunter wrote:

You mean you haven't seen these bikes around? Maybe it's just the yoof of souf east London....

I see a lot of these...



but not these...

[/quote]

One costs under £100, the other over 2 grand. Guess which one Danny MacAskill rides?

alidaf

daviesee wrote:

alidaf wrote:

....As a result I nearly killed a neighbours cat reversing into my drive but the near panoramic view was a delight.

Why was a cat reversing into your drive?

People reversing into my drive annoys me so I can only imagine how upsetting it would be to see a cat reversing up the drive. With that panoramic view you would have had a clear line of sight too!

Lol. I've had a few giggles already today but that tops the cake. I'm normally quite careful with grammar but completely missed that ambiguity. After all, "fruit flies like a banana"!

BelgianBeerGeek

gtvlusso wrote:

Another 'pet hate'/lack of care;

I ride through a housing estate with 'chicanes' on the main access roads. The effect of the chicanes is that traffic has priority one way - as indicated on a massive sign by the chicane. I am always careful to adhere to the priority as braking is obviously more limited on a bike.

Yet, week in and week out as I ride through with priority on my side, I get so many cars that simply drive at me disregarding their lower priority - I hasten to add that in all cases so far it has been female drivers (honest guv!). This could be because of a high level of female drivers in that area or coincidental to the time of day...however, as this has gone on it is looking like a lack of care. I.e. He's on a bike, it doesn't count.....

I see the problem here. The sign says "Give way to oncoming vehicles". You ain't a vehicle, therefore can be disregarded. Perhaps the sign should read "Give way to oncoming road users"? Until then the literal-minded will do as they always have.

Agent57

kelsen wrote:

(BTW, googling 'trials bikes' opened up a whole new world for me! Echo? Inspired? Koxx? Onza? Felt a complete newb! :shock: )

Should have heard of Inspired Bicycles, at least. They uploaded that video of team member Danny MacAskill to YouTube a few years ago. You might have seen it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

If not, where were you in 2009?

mouth

One of my pet hates in motoring is cars with their mirrors folded in. I mean, how do you even get off the bloody driveway before noticing that they're useless? Whenever I see a car with them folded I stay well back until they've cleared off.

EKE_38BPM

Mouth wrote:

One of my pet hates in motoring is cars with their mirrors folded in. I mean, how do you even get off the bloody driveway before noticing that they're useless? Whenever I see a car with them folded I stay well back until they've cleared off.

If I see one I sometimes unfold it as I pass.

daviesee

Mouth wrote:

One of my pet hates in motoring is cars with their mirrors folded in. I mean, how do you even get off the bloody driveway before noticing that they're useless? Whenever I see a car with them folded I stay well back until they've cleared off.

Meh. You don't really need your wing mirrors to pull out from a driveway onto the road. You should notice fairly sharply once on the road though.
Worse than that are the ones who scrape a 4" hole in the frost/ice on their windscreen and head off thinking "that'll do".
I avoid them regardless of the vehicle I am using.