The trucker's obsession with mirrors

tinytim · Oct 19, 2019

Brettw777 said: ↑

I am highly concentrating on staying right in the perfect spot in my lane. Sometimes, that one second can cause you to veer off your path whether a curve or not.
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No offense, but if after 37 years of driving you find it that difficult to stay in your lane maybe driving isn't for you.

x1Heavy · Oct 19, 2019

tinytim said: ↑

No offense, but if after 37 years of driving you find it that difficult to stay in your lane maybe driving isn't for you.
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Actually I should tease the OP and think about his OCD tendencies to find the perfect spot. That's working way too hard in driving. =)

snowwy · Oct 19, 2019

That one time. When I didn't check my mirrors. To see a fire engine chasing me because my load of hay was on fire.

Not really but my load was on fire. Easily doused with the fire extinguisher.

When I delivered. There was a small hole with a cigarette butt inside. Ahole

dunchues · Oct 19, 2019

Always refreshing to see a new driver who really gets it, hope you were able to teach your examiner where his voice of experience was all wrong.

JonJon78 · Oct 19, 2019

Long FLD said: ↑

Well, at least the OP will be in agreement with one other member here.
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LOL... Which one?

tinytim · Oct 19, 2019

JonJon78 said: ↑

LOL... Which one?
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Keep your head up and level !!. Look straight ahead .. Very very important

dowin3 · Oct 19, 2019

Brettw777 said: ↑

I hope I am not starting a flame war here but I just gotta bring this up. I was taught in school and by my trainer to constantly be checking your mirrors every 5-8 seconds or something like that. As a driver now, I am questioning this conventional wisdom for multiple reasons.

Let me start with....of course we have to check our mirrors during backing, changing lanes and turning since we need to know what that trailer is doing on turns when getting near a curb, possible passing car, sign extending too close to street, etc. I have no issues with any of that.

My issue is being told to check my mirrors that often when driving down the road doing nothing but staying in my lane. I have been driving some vehicle for 37 years and never had a single accident that was my fault and I have never had any reason to look in my side mirrors except to change lanes or back up (in a car, small truck or van)! I have never felt the need to check the lanes around me if I am not making a move so why should I do it in a truck?

I will contend that we shouldn't check those mirrors at anywhere near that kind of frequency. Why not? What's the harm? Each time you take a second to look away from that road into a mirror, your eyes are obviously not on the road. For that one second, you have become an unsafe driver. It only takes a second for something to happen that will need you to hit your brakes and if your eyes are on your side mirror, you just lost a second of time, a second you might seriously need. I have been in hairy situations where I am on a narrow highway in a middle lane and cars on both sides of me and going around a tight curve...I would not even consider glancing in my mirrors at that moment. I am highly concentrating on staying right in the perfect spot in my lane. Sometimes, that one second can cause you to veer off your path whether a curve or not.

While driving with my trainer, I was heading down the interstate in a right lane and a car was coming beside me about to merge. He was one of those annoying drivers who could not figure out whether to speed up and go in front of me or slow down and go behind me which was the better option because I was a little ahead of him. He finally slowed down very late and had to ride in the emergency lane briefly due to his indecision and he safely merged in. My trainer told me that I should have checked my mirrors to have seen that because he went into the emergency lane but admitted I did nothing wrong driving but that the car did not merge correctly. He just wanted me to see the activity behind me. My question is: What would have changed if I had looked into my mirrors? I had already seen the car fading back from my side window. Once I realized he was definitely fading back, what was I supposed to do? Looking at him safely merge or looking at him crashing into a wall would not have changed by me looking at him. The only thing that would have been different is that my eyes would have been unsafely not on the road in front of me.

You could say I hate the line of "well, that is the way we have always done it" because I like to question why someone ever thought it was a good idea to check mirrors that often. Maybe I am wrong so feel free to give me a reason why. I may be wrong but I need a reason.
Click to expand...

Brettw777 said: ↑

I hope I am not starting a flame war here but I just gotta bring this up. I was taught in school and by my trainer to constantly be checking your mirrors every 5-8 seconds or something like that. As a driver now, I am questioning this conventional wisdom for multiple reasons.

Let me start with....of course we have to check our mirrors during backing, changing lanes and turning since we need to know what that trailer is doing on turns when getting near a curb, possible passing car, sign extending too close to street, etc. I have no issues with any of that.

My issue is being told to check my mirrors that often when driving down the road doing nothing but staying in my lane. I have been driving some vehicle for 37 years and never had a single accident that was my fault and I have never had any reason to look in my side mirrors except to change lanes or back up (in a car, small truck or van)! I have never felt the need to check the lanes around me if I am not making a move so why should I do it in a truck?

I will contend that we shouldn't check those mirrors at anywhere near that kind of frequency. Why not? What's the harm? Each time you take a second to look away from that road into a mirror, your eyes are obviously not on the road. For that one second, you have become an unsafe driver. It only takes a second for something to happen that will need you to hit your brakes and if your eyes are on your side mirror, you just lost a second of time, a second you might seriously need. I have been in hairy situations where I am on a narrow highway in a middle lane and cars on both sides of me and going around a tight curve...I would not even consider glancing in my mirrors at that moment. I am highly concentrating on staying right in the perfect spot in my lane. Sometimes, that one second can cause you to veer off your path whether a curve or not.

While driving with my trainer, I was heading down the interstate in a right lane and a car was coming beside me about to merge. He was one of those annoying drivers who could not figure out whether to speed up and go in front of me or slow down and go behind me which was the better option because I was a little ahead of him. He finally slowed down very late and had to ride in the emergency lane briefly due to his indecision and he safely merged in. My trainer told me that I should have checked my mirrors to have seen that because he went into the emergency lane but admitted I did nothing wrong driving but that the car did not merge correctly. He just wanted me to see the activity behind me. My question is: What would have changed if I had looked into my mirrors? I had already seen the car fading back from my side window. Once I realized he was definitely fading back, what was I supposed to do? Looking at him safely merge or looking at him crashing into a wall would not have changed by me looking at him. The only thing that would have been different is that my eyes would have been unsafely not on the road in front of me.

You could say I hate the line of "well, that is the way we have always done it" because I like to question why someone ever thought it was a good idea to check mirrors that often. Maybe I am wrong so feel free to give me a reason why. I may be wrong but I need a reason.
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You

LtlAnonymous · Oct 19, 2019

FlaSwampRat said: ↑

It's all about leaving yourself an out. You need to have a good idea of what's going on around you on all sides in case you need to make any quick manuvers. Car blows tire and shoots into your lane, do you have any idea what's next to you before you try to take any evasive action? Remember you are responsible for having to move over with a lot more real estate rolling down the road and you can't stop quickly anymore so moving around might be your only option.
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Exactly right. You don't need to know what's around you until you need to know what's around you, and by then it's too late.

dowin3 · Oct 19, 2019

This guy should not be operating a class 8 vehicle! This a good example of what is wrong with the industry. You CAN'T FIX STUPID!!!!

skellr · Oct 19, 2019

Brettw777 said: ↑

I hope I am not starting a flame war here but I just gotta bring this up. I was taught in school and by my trainer to constantly be checking your mirrors every 5-8 seconds or something like that. As a driver now, I am questioning this conventional wisdom for multiple reasons.

Let me start with....of course we have to check our mirrors during backing, changing lanes and turning since we need to know what that trailer is doing on turns when getting near a curb, possible passing car, sign extending too close to street, etc. I have no issues with any of that.

My issue is being told to check my mirrors that often when driving down the road doing nothing but staying in my lane. I have been driving some vehicle for 37 years and never had a single accident that was my fault and I have never had any reason to look in my side mirrors except to change lanes or back up (in a car, small truck or van)! I have never felt the need to check the lanes around me if I am not making a move so why should I do it in a truck?

I will contend that we shouldn't check those mirrors at anywhere near that kind of frequency. Why not? What's the harm? Each time you take a second to look away from that road into a mirror, your eyes are obviously not on the road. For that one second, you have become an unsafe driver. It only takes a second for something to happen that will need you to hit your brakes and if your eyes are on your side mirror, you just lost a second of time, a second you might seriously need. I have been in hairy situations where I am on a narrow highway in a middle lane and cars on both sides of me and going around a tight curve...I would not even consider glancing in my mirrors at that moment. I am highly concentrating on staying right in the perfect spot in my lane. Sometimes, that one second can cause you to veer off your path whether a curve or not.

While driving with my trainer, I was heading down the interstate in a right lane and a car was coming beside me about to merge. He was one of those annoying drivers who could not figure out whether to speed up and go in front of me or slow down and go behind me which was the better option because I was a little ahead of him. He finally slowed down very late and had to ride in the emergency lane briefly due to his indecision and he safely merged in. My trainer told me that I should have checked my mirrors to have seen that because he went into the emergency lane but admitted I did nothing wrong driving but that the car did not merge correctly. He just wanted me to see the activity behind me. My question is: What would have changed if I had looked into my mirrors? I had already seen the car fading back from my side window. Once I realized he was definitely fading back, what was I supposed to do? Looking at him safely merge or looking at him crashing into a wall would not have changed by me looking at him. The only thing that would have been different is that my eyes would have been unsafely not on the road in front of me.

You could say I hate the line of "well, that is the way we have always done it" because I like to question why someone ever thought it was a good idea to check mirrors that often. Maybe I am wrong so feel free to give me a reason why. I may be wrong but I need a reason.
Click to expand...

You really need to check them often. this isn't like driving some small car or pickup-truck.

People will come up fast behind you, right behind you and just sit there, out of sight, close behind you. they will come up along side you and suddenly slow down and sit right in your blind spot.

You do need to look and be aware of everything that's going on around you.... Don't expect any of them to continue what they are doing and remain predictable. one of them will do something unexpected and put themselves in the worst possible place.

You should be checking the mirrors often to know whether all five of the cars coming up behind you have passed or if it was only four. You need to double-triple check in the rain to make sure some goober isn't running next to you in a silver car with their lights off.

It may sound excessive now, but give it some time. It is what you need to do to save yourself from Zombie drivers round you.

Give it some time, you will see. You have to drive not only for yourself, but for other people around you.

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