The odds and the statistics are terrifying for teen drivers. The Texas Handbook suggests that the leading cause of death among youth in the United States (ages 16-24) is alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. The second leading cause of death is non-alcohol related accidents. One of a driver’s most valuable assets is their years of driving experience. We know that there is nothing a parent can do to give their children that experience. Experience can only be gained through time spent driving on the road, as every parent’s nightmare is a teenage driver.
The topic of traditional or contemporary side mirror configuration is the beginning of the first big battle between teenagers and many parents when we begin to teach the fundamentals of driving. 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 the conflict is to first clarify how the 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 quickly look over their shoulders. I point out that three things happen with this method: 1. The eyes are drawn away from the road they are traveling on, putting them at risk of missing changes in the traffic scene. 2. Because the focus is taken off the path of travel, a moment of crisis is created. due to divided attention 3. Increased tendency to drift into the lane being cleared.
I always stress that contemporary settings will help the driver maintain control of the vehicle in a number of ways. The technique to do this is to adjust the interior mirror so that it frames the rear window. Adjusting the driver’s side mirror is simple, you simply lean out the window and adjust the mirror so you can barely see the car. The process is repeated leaning toward 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 farther apart. Secondly, the tendency to drift is resolved, because the eyes move towards the mirror and finally the crisis of divided attention is reduced.
