Why Do You Keep Your Rear View Mirrors Shut?

[ramesh.ms85]

@ 350Z, You are spot on!! I really wanted to start a thread on this and I thank you so much for bringing this on to the open discussion.

@ Ertiga ZMR, you are right its very common in Indicabs.

I feel very very very very... irriatated while seeing the ORVM folded on cars. I guess these wreckless drivers don't have a practice to check all the safety aspects while starting from home in their vehicle.

As you(350Z and others) said it has become most common on many vehicles. What ever the traffic conditions may be, I never have my ORVM folded. To be frank, my guts to drive on traffic reduce drastically when have them folded. When ever I notice a vehicle drive on their own sense without the knowledge of traffic lane on road, I see 80 - 85% of vehicles have the ORVM folded.

- Yes, bikers may hit the ORVM. Still there are huge chances that you might hit them to the side where the cost to repair them would be more severe.

- Yes, in dense traffic if the ORVM is open, there are huge chances for ORVM to get hit. Again, there are huge chances that you might hit them to the side where the cost to repair them would be more severe.

I accept the fact that the ORVMs in the Automobile companies nowadays are expensive since they improve the features alot where we get Automatically adjustable ORVMs, Beautiful indicators on ORVMs. But on top of everything there is no meaning for ORVM in a vehicles if its closed.
Friends please have the ORVMs open at any cost.

If you have them closed to save it, then there is something unexpected would happen anytime which might end up in life hazard and you could not save that.

My sincere request to Bikers/Load Carrier drivers/Share Auto drivers/Indicab drivers.
Please be careful while driving. Roads are not meant for you alone, but also for others. You may just hit a car/vehicle and vanish. But to get them back on track people have to spend a lot. Becuase of that, there is a tendency for most of the people to have the ORVM closed which increase in risk of accidents and here you might also be a victim.!

 

[ecenandu]

In Chennai, I find nearly all the share autos, cabs having the ORVM unfolded. Its mainly the private cars which have their ORVM folded.

 

[freakdude]

I too keep my ORVMs open most of the time but I DO shut them when entering dense traffic just t avoid any breaking due to those reckless bikers who want to move head every possible inch juggling along the cars. I agree on the usefulness of the mirrors but on the same time if they break then cost a bomb.

freakdude.

 

[singh890]

I also drive with my ORVMs open when i was back in India. The only time my ORVMs are closed is when i am driving in the market area in middle of the city at my hometown and that too if its' really really busy. Otherwise i always drive with the ORVM's open.

I guess in India they should come up with a law similar to US. If your ORVM's are closed, broken or you don't have them you are subjceted to a fine. And a cop can pull you over for that. Though the rule won't be a successful way but atleast the cops will make money and people will probably learn the hardway by paying money to cops.

 

[MSN1]

I shut the ORVM only after parking it at home

 

[type-r]

i drive with ORVMs always open whether here or india. but my driver drives with the ORVMs closed. though i have taught him to use it sometimes he just says, "Bohut Mehnga hai, kyon faltu ka karch kare(its expensive and why spend unnecesarily?)" I have to give him harsh answer like "We are not cutting from your salary right? so dont bother."

 

[sandy_blr]

Thanks 350z for starting this thread. I always use the Rear View mirrors which is very useful while Overtaking or changing lanes. I close it very rarely when the road is too narrow and you know the Mirrors might get damaged and there is 2 way traffic on single road. As Jazz x has Auto folding mirrors its very useful. You can close and open both the mirrors without any ones's help.

 

[Gurrala74]

Good all are wise and right, but again I reiterate here that it really depends on situation and I find real pain driving OVRMs open during a working day evening traffic in Hyderabad. I have had experience of 4 times they were broken without of my fault and the kind of tension while driving to safeguard OVRMs will really make your mind occupied and you will loose focus on front bumper or rear distances. Yes I again say this, if the road is slightly open and free do use OVRMs, yes it is required very much, but at times I drive closing them where our experience comes into action. Just answer me how many of you can be see your bonnet end in your cars and drive if it is a day time and there are no front sensors available, so this all go with good experience of us.

Finally I would like to say that nobody would like to compromise on safety. Listening to good things is always good, but practicing them in every situation is not possible at times and we have to live with that

 

[Releesh]

I have one more reason to drive without ORVM folded in busy traffic. I feel that if i folded the mirror, other vehicles especially two wheelers comes more closure to my car and result may be big scratches in the side of the car. For my car, it is more costlier than replacing the mirror and my car orvms fold to both sides and that reduce damage to them.

 

[sethumurugan]

Yes it very true even in Bangalore especially Indica Cab driver. They can change lane at any time and that too without honking or indicator signal.

Your appeal is also applicable to 2-wheeler riders.

There are so many 2-wheelers without RVM on both sides. Now a days youth dont like to have one which will be problem for them while taking cut between vehicles. there are some high end bikes i ahve seen and it is with RVM but i do not know how it will be useful when seeing its position and angle.

Yes it is not that abnormal, even I do the same, I am used with the center rear view mirror all the time and felt quite ok with it. Yes it is really a big problem in opening them during bumper to bumper traffic in city. I open them always when I am on highway .

Yes as Ertiga said, it is more serious with 2-wheeler people as most of them remove those mirrors and never see that what is happening behind them

I wont shut my ORVM at any cost!!!!!!
I dont like to do.
But i shut my cabin RVM at nights to avoid light glare in my eyes which would make me more tired and fall asleep.
No traffic will make me to close ORVM.

You can use anti glare part of RVM inside if yours is day night RVM.

Well obviously you have to be true coz 350z didn't start this thread to show that all TAIans follow the rule!

We all face heavy traffic daily, be it any city. Its not you, most of the cars' ORVMs would be scratched, mine are too. Still I do not close them. Get over scratch and clash thing man, once you convince yourself that you have to use ORVMs at any cost, you will save the mirrors by yourself. Try it.

Guralla sir, as said, please use OVRMs which is not very difficult. you know chennai traffic. even here I go with un-folded OVRMs only. In my total 5 years of driving only once my OVRM broke and that to my mistake. So nothing will happen. You can drive easily.

Without our OVRM it will be difficult for me to drive. I always unfold it. sometimes I might forgot while starting. but as soon as i realize that it is folded I will go to left, stop the car and un fold it and then proceed my driving.

My M800 came with only right side RVM, but next day I got the Left side RVM and fixed it.

All my bikes for past 18 years always with both side RVMs.

 

[Highway Ranger]

I always drive with my OVRM open and use them also to see what is behind me. During a night time highway drive, I found that tilting the OVRM slightly downwards greatly reduced the direct glare but was efficiently letting me know if any vehicle was closing up on me on either side. The cabin mirror is a day/night mirror, so no problem there.

Once, stuck in traffic jam, a biker quietly closed my OVRM and inched past through the gap giving me a look as if I was breaking some rule.

 

[Prads]

I need all 3 mirrors at any given time,when i fold them as i go through gaps its gets irritating cos you cannot see the sides of your car as your squeezing in a congested place.And everyday i have an impatient two wheeler squeezing on my left as i turn into a narrow road on the way to my place,so i end up putting the car into a pot hole at this corner cos of 2wheelers on my left,but cars with side mirrors folded avoid this pothole & end up grazing two wheelers as I have seen this.

But I want to mention one thing some people are amazed with electric folding mirrors! One such example was when i was at a signal i could see a biker deciding to squeeze in at good speed,just as he was about to hit the mirror i pushed the button to fold them(my luck) & the expression on the pillion rider was priceless,he must have thought the car automatically folded the mirror sensing trouble! He kept looking back shocked until he cleared the signal.

But now days cos we dont have tint on our cars as a result i notice at night some 2wheeler fellows have there high beams on & stand focusing the beam at the side mirror in traffic signals,this hits you directly in the face as you are waiting,I have been annoyed quite a few times & folded the side mirror.

But I am always wary of cars with side mirrors folded,thats the only time i honk alot when i get past them.

 

[Akash]

I too never understand how closed mirror helps. I have seen many premium sedans with closed mirrors. However, most of them give proper reason to this question saying that the mirror may get hit and get damaged.
BTW i keep my ORVMs unfolded.

There is only one day when i fold my ORVM ie on Saturday evening. I know i wont be taking my car out on Sunday, and next day being an off day, i fold it to make my Baby Suzuki feel that it would also be taking an off on the next day.

 

[AppU]

I always use all RVM in my car.

My first car was 118NE, In that there was no LORVM, but I use RORVM while driving. In my Black Indica for first few days I closed LORVM in city traffic, but used in Highways. one time I not closed LORVM in Chennai and found both LRVM's is also manditory. From that day I started using all RVM( Left, Right and Inner).

Apart from that Left & Right RVM's will increase the look of our car

 

[Gurrala74]

Oh !! God I confess friends not using them till now and I start using them from today, however thick traffic it is and if a OVRM is hit and broken but I will keep them open and in such case I have a option of send the new replaced OVRM bill to you all of you who suggested me this