Originally Posted by
Camilo
Well, I guess since you've been riding for 5 years, you know better than me what is safe and what I feel comfortable with since I've only been riding in city traffic and on highways for, (thinking how long ago 1972 was), 40 years.
Never had any need for a mirror. Have never been hit by a car or even close except for one time I was stupidly passing on the right and got right hooked - nothing a mirror would have helped.
You evidently are so sure that mirrors are a necessity that you think those of us who don't use them do so because of vanity. That's just wrong, thank you. Some of us just dont' have any reason to use one and ride as safely as you do.
We should cut the mirrors off cars too, since some of us drove with our mirrors crippled for years (pointed at the side of the door) and did fine.
Usually, drivers slow down around cyclists because cyclists are crazy and might swerve into the road. Why wouldn't you just ride over a pot hole or storm drain anyway?
Not being hit doesn't mean you're safe; it means nobody's hit you. Swerving into cars for years and never getting hit because they hit their brakes isn't safe, even if it's practically guaranteed because people brake that quickly always. A mirror keeps your eyes forward when something is behind you, eliminating most of the rear checks where something is coming up behind you to prevent a maneuver into the lane. a glance back in confirmation when you see the lane is indeed empty is a good thing; a glance back when the lane is not empty is a waste that can be avoided. Both put you at risk of the forward condition altering, and so we can use mirrors to optimize out part of that risk.