Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
Human beings are not lizards. We have not evolved the ability to use our eyes independently to any great degree. It can be fatal to smack into something ahead of you because you are busy monitoring your mirror. It has happened. You cannot significantly change your odds of being rear ended by monitoring your six! .....
With respect, this is utter nonsense. While I don't use a mirror on a bike, it's patently ridiculous that glancing in a mirror from time to time increases your risk of hitting something up front.
Cars have had rearview mirrors since they were introduced on the Indianapolis speedway in 1911. Since then experienced drivers have come to accept them as a requirement, and truckers especially couldn't function without them.
Whether knowing that a car is coming up behind you on a bike would make any difference most of the time is debatable, and I agree probably not. But it can make a difference for cyclists riding in heavy urban traffic and needing to make maneuvers such as left turns. In any case though they aren't much help, they are not a hazard unless they break in a crash, and cause you 7 years of riding in the rain.