I haven't drove an 05 yet to know. I do know theres more blind spots in my 99 stang then my 90 stang. The windows were bigger in the early 90s models. I mostly use my mirrors.

i dont have any blind spots, converts rock! :tup

I believe in shoulder checking before changine lanes. You can have the mirrors adjusted as best you can but you will still have blind spots. A quick check either way will avoid the dreaded idiot motorist driving in your BS.

It's also a good idea to be aware of what and who is around you at all times when driving, this holds very true on long road trips when you have others in the car and you're conversing with them or something a vehicle could casually sneak up on you in another lane without you being aware of it, a shoulder check here would avoid a potential disaster if you were to change lanes.

In a racing situation shoulder checking is usually not possible as mentioned by Ed. N. (hi, remember me??) :) therefore it is even more important to be aware of who is where on the track in relation to where you are and where you want to be.

Tony

I do not have any blind spots with my mirrors positioned properly. I have a 180 degree field of view. Doing a shoulder check on the 401 to me is risky and this is the reason. While you are performing your quick shoulder check the traffic comes to a grinding halt. Oh oh bam and you meet the rear end of the car in front of you. No thanks. :cheers: If you are on the highway and you hit someone while pulling out to pass I would say that whoever is driving is an incompetent idiot and should not hold a valid drivers licence. MIRROR PLACEMENT, MIRROR PLACEMENT, MIRROR PLACEMENT! :tup

Hey Tony!! Of course I remember you ... how's things going? I still recall you helping me to change the rad in my Mustang at Shannonville in the pouring rain, after giving me a ride into Belleville to pick up the replacement. :)

You make a valid point, that I should have mentioned in my post. A big part of driving is being aware of what's going on around you. The proper mirror settings will not work if you're not paying attention to the movements of the other vehicles around you. I can get a chuckle just about any time I'm driving on a busy multi-lane highway like the 401 ... looking ahead and around, I notice potential "situations" developing between other vehicles, and the drivers in those vehicles aren't even aware of it yet. :rolleyes:


cheers
Ed N.

Not to start an argument Paul but you shouldn't be doing a shoulder check when changing lanes if traffic decides to come to a "grinding halt" as you put it.

Part of driving safe is anticipating what traffic and other motorists are doing, will be doing and adjust accordingly. Obviously shoulder checking when traffic is coming to a standstill wouldn't be the best choice but if you anticipated it (by looking ahead and seeing what is happening ahead of you) you would have been able to easily do your check and make the lane change.

Ed, you have a better memory than me!!!! :LOL: :LOL: I wasn't sure if you got me mixed up with someone else but the more I thought about it I seemed to remember that. Yeah those were neat times running Solo 1 when we both had Stangs. :biggrin:

Returning again to the topic at hand, most side mirrors on today's vehicles are designed more for aerodynamics than actual visual usage. Sizing is usually an issue with today's slimmer and sleeker designs which can hamper the amount of visual information avail. for the driver. There will always be blind spots somewhere that the best positioned mirrors can't see even if you adjust them to your best liking. Again using the senses avail. to us (peripheral and direct vision, hearing and instinct) you can make a better judgment as to what you wish to do while driving your vehicle.

Tony

Not to argue but while doing a shoulder
check traffic MAY all of a SUDDEN come to a halt, for instance if a dog or child runs across the road. That's completely UNEXPECTED. My chances of seeing the child are much better than a shoulder checker. Whilst you are doing your check BAM. I have personally driven over 1,000,000 kms and with PROPER MIRROR placement I DO NOT HAVE ANY BLIND SPOTS in my 05Gt. I have driven in Chicago L.A. San Fran Seattle Detroit San Diego, Cinci, T.O. well everwhere and you guessed it, no shoulder checks. I PERSONALLY have witnessed more close calls while people are shoulder checking than I care to count. But hey everyone has there own style. Peace :cheers: < Don't drink and drive

I said this earlier and I'llsay it again. If you run into the person in front of you because you didn't see them slam on the brakes during a quick shoulder check then you were driving TOO DAMN CLOSE to begin with. If an animal or small child (how the child got on to the 401 is hard to imagine) runs right out in front of you there isn't much you're going to be able to do about it anyway whether shoulder checking or not. What you can do with a car while going 120kph in 401 traffic is a whole heck of a lot. Besides, if you were a good driver and saw the child up ahead you would have either made your lane change before you got to it or you will do it after you pass them just so that you can keep your eye on them.

Hey do not forget that the odd child that flys off an overpass with the help of an idiot of a father. I just figure my mirrors are not put on for decorative purposes and indeed they are quite functional. I am glad they came with the car. :tup

I agree, my morrors are quite functional too. That is why my shoulder check is so quick....it's just a quick glance at the small blind spot left by the mirrors :)

As for a child getting dropped off an over pass by daddy...if the fall doesn't kill her someone prolly isn' going to have time to stop or swerve if daddy did it right. Coudl you imagine getting dropped off an overpass, hit by a car, and still living???? Ow ow ow...