Odds and statistics scare teen drivers. The Texas Handbook suggests that the leading cause of death for young people in the United States (ages 16-24) is alcohol-related car accidents. The second leading cause of death is non-alcohol related accidents. One of a driver’s most valuable assets is his years of driving experience. We know that there is nothing a parent can do to give their children that experience. The experience can only be gained through time spent driving on the highway, with every parent’s nightmare about a teenage driver.
The topic of traditional or contemporary side mirror setup is the beginning of the first great battle between teens and many parents when we started teaching driving fundamentals. Parents are immediately confused when we teach their children the new technique of placing the mirror further away. In my experience, the best way to resolve conflict is to first clarify how blind zones are created.
It is important to explain that the traditional method requires the driver to position the mirrors where the entire side of the car is visible. This is what creates an area that can hide an entire vehicle or motorcycle. To compensate for hidden vehicles, many parents were trained to look quickly over their shoulders. I point out that three things happen with this method: 1. They take their eyes off the road they are traveling on, putting them at risk of not seeing changes in the traffic scene. 2. As the focus is removed from the travel path, a moment crisis is created. due to divided attention 3. The tendency to drift into the lane that is being cleared increases.
I always emphasize that contemporary settings will help the driver maintain control over the vehicle in a number of ways. The technique for doing this is to adjust the interior mirror so that it frames the rear window. Adjusting the driver’s side mirror is simple, just lean toward the window and position the mirror so that you can barely see the car. The process is repeated by leaning towards the center and repeating the process for the passenger side. This new method eliminates the need to look over your shoulder. The first problem is that the blind zone is eliminated by placing the mirrors further away. Secondly, the drift tendency is resolved, because the eyes move towards the mirror and finally the divided attention crisis is reduced.