One of the biggest blind spots for me is the rear view mirror. Being 6'2" the mirror is in my eye line rather than me having to look up like shorties have to. I've learnt to look around the mirror at junctions as it can easily obscure a car let alone a cyclist.

.... there would be no image of the edge of the car's body in either side mirror. It was a weird experience and I always found myself tweaking them back so that I could see the side of my car.

The side of the car needs to appear in the edge of one's view so that the picture can be accurately 'placed'. The limiting factor is the angle of view the mirror provides from your viewing position. The discussion so far has been mostly about seeing overtaking vehicles, but I use mirrors just as much for reversing into spaces, having no all-seeing cameras (which are another gizmo intended to offset stylists' obsession with reducing outward visibility).

Steerable mirrors are a useful device. Our exit onto a busy main road can become almost impossible when vans are parked on the pavement blocking the view rightwards. At least the nearside mirror can be turned outwards to see to the left, and put back afterwards.

Edited by Andrew-T on 17/06/2019 at 10:14

Your hypothesis that wing mirrors must be mounted on the wing is not supported by the general understanding, I would suggest. For example, an internet search of "wing mirror" will generate countless images of door-mounted mirrors but not a single one mounted on a wing.

Your hypothesis that wing mirrors must be mounted on the wing is not supported by the general understanding, I would suggest. For example, an internet search of "wing mirror" will generate countless images of door-mounted mirrors but not a single one mounted on a wing.

Hardly a hypothesis!, there are mirrors mounted on the wing, and there are mirrors mounted on the door. These give different fields of vision, and i'd rather be clear on exactly what is being referred to.

I've always known them as wing mirrors. Just thought it was a generic phrase. There are lots of misnomers in the language, eg people say Tannoy as a generic phrase for a public announcement system, even though Tannoy is a brand.

They were always called wing mirrors when I started my apprenticeship until door mirrors were fitted, then called door mirrors, door mirrors are a vast improvement and should have been fitted years earlier imo... even though they weren't all perfect

I've always known them as wing mirrors. Just thought it was a generic phrase. There are lots of misnomers in the language, eg people say Tannoy as a generic phrase for a public announcement system, even though Tannoy is a brand.

They were always called wing mirrors when I started my apprenticeship until door mirrors were fitted, then called door mirrors, door mirrors are a vast improvement and should have been fitted years earlier imo... even though they weren't all perfect

I can only recall them being referred to as door mirrors myself (of course my memory can play tricks on me these days!). But it is possible that working in the motor trade, they were pointedly referred to as such in order to make the distinction between mirrors mounted on the door and those on the wing for clarity regarding repairs, parts being ordered etc?.

I used to fit wing mirrors in the 70s, some owners only wanted drivers side fitted, some with more money to spend wanted both sides fitted to front wings.

had to be very careful as well in case the pilot drill slipped on the paintwork, which on rare occasions did happen, pilot drill was used to insert main steel cutter that made the hole for mirror bolt to go through and as they were never painted after the hole was made usually where the rust started.

then, Forget the year?, but door mirrors came in very good idea and less trouble apart from being easily clobbered