How do you cover your rear blind spot?

[Norbert]

I was almost rear ended by someone on Sunday. Long story short: I was in front of this driver for a while in daylight, it was an easy, slow stop, and all of a sudden I hear his brakes/tires squeal and see his hood out of the corner of my eye. I'm not sure what I could have done differently, I think he was one of those "distracted" drivers that are famous in the DC metro area. :ban:

I do know that I need to do a better job of keeping track of the car behind me! What do you guys and gals use to cover your rear blind spot? I did some research online, and it looks like those small convex mirrors that you can get from an autoparts store are good for the left and right blind spots. I am specifically concerned about the rear. Maybe my mirrors aren't adjusted properly. Currently they are angled to cover the left and right lanes. Maybe I should move them more inward to cover the rear blind spot and put those convex mirrors to compensate for the inward facing angle?

Thanks folks.

 

[rider1a]

What do you guys and gals use to cover your rear blind spot? I did some research online, and it looks like those small convex mirrors that you can get from an autoparts store are good for the left and right blind spots. I am specifically concerned about the rear. Maybe my mirrors aren't adjusted properly. Currently they are angled to cover the left and right lanes. Maybe I should move them more inward to cover the rear blind spot and put those convex mirrors to compensate for the inward facing angle?

Learn to turn your head more often when riding on a crowded road and become aware where cars are positioned around you. That is why I won't listen to music during city driving.

The mini-reflector mirrors are a step in the right direction.

Looking around is actually a good habit on a motorcycle, even if you are married.

 

[Norbert]

Learn to turn your head more often when riding on a crowded road and become aware where cars are positioned around you. That is why I won't listen to music during city driving.

The mini-reflector mirrors are a step in the right direction.

Looking around is actually a good habit on a motorcycle, even if you are married.

Good advice. But I don't want to be turning my all over head as I'm braking, do I? That seems awkward.

 

[RedFZ6]

^^^ oooh yeah, I'll turn my head while braking (hard) just to look at this hot chick

If you don't feel comfortable in turning your head while driving then I suggest to use the mini reflector mirror, it helps a lot. But sometimes you'll have to turn your head while braking like when merging into the highway or any other road and in this case the mini reflector will be useless.

 

[Shamus McFeeley]

I bought some $1.99 blind spot mirrors from auto zone. They're about 2" in diameter and fit almost perfect. I sat on the bike and used the other cars in my driveway to get a fix for the perfect placement on the mirror itself. It was cheap, and works great.

 

[sxty8goats]

I keep my right mirror on the lane beside me, my left mirror behind me. For some reason I'm more comfortable like that. I think I have an easier time looking left than right.

 

[niben001]

turn yr head. I like to act a little bit "jumpy" when a car is to close. I find they think I'm gonna crash or something and fall back to more comfortable distance.

 

[Jez]

You need to do what we in the UK call a 'lifesaver' - a quick glance over your shoulder. Training schools teach you to do it as the order of riding: Mirror, Signal, Lifesaver, Manoeuvre.

Timing is everything - you don't want to do it too early so as to make it redundant, but equally, if there is a hazard in front of you you need to be concentrating in that direction, not looking the other way.

I'm not great about doing them, but it was brought home to me the other day when I was in lane 3 of a motorway and wanting to move back into the centre lane. I checked mirror, put on a signal and just quickly glanced over my shoulder. At that moment I was undertaken by a sportsbike on the inside doing well over 100mph. If I hadn't done that lifesaver I'd have pulled straight into him.

 

[fenell903]

i put a blind spot reverse back up camera on my bike:rockon:

 

[CrazyBiker]

I have stick on spot mirrors on my stock mirrors. I don't need to turn unless at night.

 

[rider1a]

Good advice. But I don't want to be turning my all over head as I'm braking, do I? That seems awkward.

The point is to become hyper-aware of the type of cars: soccer moms with cells, tuner-car with Red Bull hyped teen-agers driving reckllessly, wandering gravel trucks trying to make the green light, the over-loaded trailer swaying in their respective lane, tired end-of-day workers who have checked out emotionally, the density of auto's in your driving zone, do you provide a 3-4 second safety cushion between you and the cars or are you jammed up next the car in front of you, what is your lane position relative to the other automobiles?....and the time of day.

So forth...if I can't provide 100 percent of my mental acuity when riding, I don't go that day. I just consider this part of being able to manage the risk that comes with our two-wheeled recreational pursuit.

Every time or hour of the day has a different personality requiring different state of mental vigilance. For example, Friday evening in a large city near a large college versus a small, quiet rural community we can easily see very different inherent risks in each one.

This applies to braking..., get a sense of who is behind you 5-10 seconds before you initiate the stopping procedure. Do you want to be in front of a small car pulling a LARGE trailer? Do you want to be in front at a traffic light of a car with rowdy punks blasting their radios and acting moronic on a Friday night? Do you stop at the LEFT part of the lane and leave a escape slot open in case the car behind you does not stop soon enough? Do you keep you hand and gear on the clutch ready to pull out UNTIL the car behind you has safely stopped?

Lots of questions, but riding a bike requires that you forget the PAST and the FUTURE and focus only on the unfolding PRESENT reality. It sounds a little bit like Zen Buddahism, but also the simple fact that this process of mental focus helps "clear out" mental debris from the day, week, month, or year(s).

Safe Travels,

Fred

 

[motopete]

All this info is very good. A good rider/driver drives 50% behind themselves as well as in front of themselves. I put little 3/8" spacers on the mirror studs to move my mirrors outward, so I can tilt them inward and see around my arms. This made a huge difference and fixed most of the blindspot problem. I tried little convex mirrors, the problem I had with them is they make the cars behind me look so small and far away. I was spending too much time trying to judge where they were (who needs another distraction, right). I want to be able to do a quick glance see whats happening, then if making a turn, turn on my signal, then do a shoulder check, then if safe turn or change lanes.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

The point is to become hyper-aware of the type of cars: soccer moms with cells, tuner-car with Red Bull hyped teen-agers driving reckllessly, wandering gravel trucks trying to make the green light, the over-loaded trailer swaying in their respective lane, tired end-of-day workers who have checked out emotionally, the density of auto's in your driving zone, do you provide a 3-4 second safety cushion between you and the cars or are you jammed up next the car in front of you, what is your lane position relative to the other automobiles?....and the time of day.

So forth...if I can't provide 100 percent of my mental acuity when riding, I don't go that day. I just consider this part of being able to manage the risk that comes with our two-wheeled recreational pursuit.

Every time or hour of the day has a different personality requiring different state of mental vigilance. For example, Friday evening in a large city near a large college versus a small, quiet rural community we can easily see very different inherent risks in each one.

This applies to braking..., get a sense of who is behind you 5-10 seconds before you initiate the stopping procedure. Do you want to be in front of a small car pulling a LARGE trailer? Do you want to be in front at a traffic light of a car with rowdy punks blasting their radios and acting moronic on a Friday night? Do you stop at the LEFT part of the lane and leave a escape slot open in case the car behind you does not stop soon enough? Do you keep you hand and gear on the clutch ready to pull out UNTIL the car behind you has safely stopped?

Lots of questions, but riding a bike requires that you forget the PAST and the FUTURE and focus only on the unfolding PRESENT reality. It sounds a little bit like Zen Buddahism, but also the simple fact that this process of mental focus helps "clear out" mental debris from the day, week, month, or year(s).

Safe Travels,

Fred

________________________________________________________________

I think Fred hits the nail on the head. In addition, I try to ride with some distance ahead of the guy behind me. When slowing, I'll tap my brake lights a couple of times (hyper brake light installed too)/perhaps a hand wave downward (indicating slow down)to catch the guys attention too. As stated above, have an exit/place to go should the guy behind you not be paying attention... Something else, slightly related, I try to expect every vehicle, fixing to pull out or along side me as if they ARE GOING TO CHANGE LANES/PULL OUT. Even if I make eye contact with them... With this in mind, be aware of traffic around you, specifically, an escape route...

If you do this, you are much less likely crash...