California Driving: How To Set Your Car’s Mirrors To Really See Your Blind Spots
Do you turn you head to check your blind spot before making a lane change? Here in congested San Francisco, turning your head even briefly away can increase your risk of being in a car accident. There’s a way to reset your mirrors that makes head turning unnecessary. It’s the Blindspot and Glare Elimination (BGE) mirror setting.
The Blindspot and Glare Elimination (BGE) Mirror Setting
The BGE was developed in 1996 by a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) named George Platzer. The BGE setting changes the view of your side mirrors to show your blind spots, rather than the view behind, which is already covered by your rear view mirror. An added benefit of the BGE setting is the elimination of glare from passing cars.
For drivers who are accustomed to the typical side mirror settings, switching to the BGE setting is a bit difficult initially, due to disorientation when looking at the side view mirror when the side of their vehicle is no longer visible, but after switching, most acclimate to the new settings and find it a better way to drive.
The BGE setting involves tipping your mirrors out about 15 degrees farther than the typical setting. There are several advantages it:
- You no longer have to turn your head to look into the blind zones.
- Only a brief glance at the mirrors is needed to change lanes.
- By glancing at the mirror, you keep the road ahead in your peripheral vision. Turning your head completely eliminates the road ahead from your field of vision.
- Glare from the side mirrors is almost entirely eliminated. You should no longer have a trailing car’s headlights shine directly into your eyes.
Here’s how to do it:
- Place your head against the driver’s side window and adjust the driver’s side mirror so you can barely see the driver’s side of your car. (This is the view you would have on typical settings without moving your head.)
- Move your head as close to the center of the car as possible and adjust the passenger’s side mirror so you can barely see the passenger’s side of your car.
- To check your BGE setting, watch as a car passes you in an adjacent lane. It should enter your outside mirror before it leaves the rearview (inside) mirror. Also, the car should appear in your peripheral vision before it leaves the outside mirror.
To use the mirrors with the BGE settings, check your rearview first to see if anyone is coming up from behind, then just glance in the sideview mirror. I switched to the BGE setting, and have found myself wishing I had been using BGE all along to help be a safer driver. To learn more, refer to the Chicago Tribune article on blind zone/glare elimination using the Society of Automotive Engineers’ technique.
Contact an Accident Lawyer in San Francisco
Callaway & Wolf have expertly handled many San Francisco car accident personal injury cases around the Bay Area, including ones in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Mateo, and all the Bay Area counties. Click here to contact us now if you have any questions about an auto accident or to request a free attorney consultation at 415-541-0300.
Boone Callaway is a personal injury & medical malpractice lawyer in San Francisco who has been working with clients in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Mr. Callaway is one of only a few personal injury litigators in San Francisco who is a Super Lawyer, AV Rated and is also a member of ABOTA – American Board of Trial Advocates.
