Category: Blind Spot Mirrors

When you are towing behind your car, you cannot rely on the usual side mirrors to give you the best view. The length and possibly the width of your combined vehicle will be much greater than before and you need towing mirrors to help.

The basic idea is to give you a wider and deeper view of the road, in particular the area to the rear quarter. So, the simplest sort of towing mirror is just a clip-on second mirror. Attached with simple clips, this second mirror gives a second view, further out from the first. This effectively widens the vehicle and your view down the side of it.

Another version helps reduce the distraction of having two mirrors each side, by having the second mounted on a bracket which is stuck on to the first with a vacuum sticker. This means you cannot look in the normal mirror by mistake and the second, wide mirror is your only choice.

Some manufacturers recommend having a flat screen mirror to the off side and a convex mirror to the near side. This gives a widened view of the near side, which as a driver you are further away from. This means you are looking at 4 mirrors with 3 different perspectives!

Some makers offer a complete replacement mirror. This takes the place of the original wing mirror and has scissor-type expandable arms, so that either mechanically or sometimes electrically, the mirror can be pushed further and further away from the side of the car. This allows better adjustment to the width of the car or the load you are towing.

The fixings for towing mirrors are numerous. Some are specific to the car they go on and others claim to be universal fittings. Various different sizes of mirror are offered too.

Generally driving on the freeway is safer than on more minor roads. You keep in line and do not have to worry about people coming the other way. However, that all comes to end when you start changing lanes.

The big danger in changing lanes is moving into another vehicle. They would be in the lane already. Since they are behind you, they will not be visible. Your side mirrors may not pick them up as they are likely to be in the blind spots of your vehicle.

One step to take, if you are in this position often, is to get yourself some blind spot mirrors. These will fit to the existing mirrors or have their own extended brackets. They will give a wider view down the rear quarter of the car and eliminate some, but not all, of the blind spots.

Even then, you will still have blind spots to either side and these will be that much bigger if you are in a long vehicle. A car or even a truck could be lurking in the blind spot and you will not see it until you move into it.

Bear the blind spot in mind at all times. Give a good long indicator time. Let those around you, especially if they are hidden, get a clear idea of what you are going to do. You may find the guy to your rear quarter steps on the gas so you can see him, or drops off to give you room.

Move out in a slow, easy movement. Let those around you see what you are doing and be able to predict where you are going. They can allow you to fit in the new lane.

When you get there, try to keep out of everyone else’s blind spots!

There are a number of things which can be done improve driver safety:-

1. Vehicle body. These are steadily getting stronger and yet more flexible, crumpling on impact to reduce the energy reaching the driver. Get the most modern car or vehicle you can.
2. Lights. Make sure yours are working and adjusted to hit the road, not the eyes of an oncoming driver.
3. Seat belt and horn. These basic safety features are still used too infrequently or incorrectly.
4. Brakes and tires. These must be tested by law but you really want yours at a much higher standard than the legal minimum. Both should be tried by the driver regularly. Hitting the brakes is not the time to find out there is a problem.
5. Mirrors. These must be correctly sighted and adjusted to keep the blind spots to a minimum. Consider blind spot mirrors to reduce the blind spots. Investigate the best sort for your size and the characteristics of your vehicle. They may extend from out or be fixed to the existing side mirrors.
6. Speed. Judge speed according to the road conditions at the time. Bear the weather and number of other road users in mind at all times. You need to be able to stop in the distance between you and the next driver. You need to be able to react to danger in the time your speed gives you.
7. Drink and drugs. There are national and state rules. The scientific evidence is simple. Any drink or drugs make your decision making worse and reactions slower. The simple answer is; do not indulge if you are driving.
8. Don’t assume. Anticipate errors and make allowances. Give people time and room to make mistakes. It’s no use being in the right and in hospital!

Your car has side mirrors to help show you the picture to the side and rear, so why should you bother changing things when you are towing?

Your side mirrors give you a restricted view of the area to the side and rear quarter of your car. Usually, this is adjusted so that you can see part of the car in those mirrors. This gives you some perspective so you know where you are actually looking at. The side mirrors are designed to fit on and show the view from a car.

Once you are towing, your whole perspective changes. You are no longer driving a car, but a truck or even a tractor and trailer rig. The length of your combined vehicle will be twice if not three times what it was. Your old mirrors will not do. Even with adjustment, they will be showing you a good picture of what you are towing. They will not be covering a large enough area or giving you a picture which is far enough back.

When you move out in your car, you have a feel for the speed and acceleration you can achieve and the distances involved. In your towing scenario, all that changes and what you need to see changes too. You need to see further back and have a wider view. You are otherwise at severe risk of pulling out or changing lanes by moving into someone else’s path. You are an accident waiting to happen.

The aim of the towing mirror is to give you that extra width and depth of vision, so increasing your safety and that of those around you. For that reason, in many areas it is illegal not to have one if what you are towing is wider that what you are driving.

Here are some ideas of things you really ought to make sure you know before you set off on that journey.

1. Laws. You should have a valid licence and be familiar with the laws on insurance and use of roads where you intend to drive. You must comply with any restrictions on your licence and any laws affecting the journey you want to make.
2. Regulations. Not as clear as laws, but often just as bad if you mess up. Each state will have regulations about dozens of technical issues such as the amount of tyre tread you should have, the pollution emissions allowed, the specification of seat belts, how loads must be fixed and many others.
3. Geography. Find out where you are going and what the roads are like. Are there any major obstructions at present? Are there any tolls? Where are the gas stations and where will you stop?
4. Inside your vehicle. You need to know its limitations, its pull away capabilities and its quirky gear issues. You also need to know where the buttons for lights and horn are, how to move the windows and the seats and how to turn on the window heater and the indicators.
5. Outside your vehicle. You need to be familiar with the shape and dimensions of your car. Can you see the end of the bonnet or does it dip down so there is more room? Can you judge the length to the rear? Do the side mirrors give you a good view? Do they need adjusting and where are the blind spots? Is there a tow bar sticking out which you cannot see? Is there a roof rack or travel system above which you might forget?

Answer all these and your journey will be much safer!