Garmin Varia Radar vs Rear View Mirror or Camera
I posted earlier with some skepticism about radar, but I was impressed by the above endorsements. Most of my riding in urban and near-suburban Boston, and I wonder if the frequency of approaching cars would lull me into a sense of security.
Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
That's my opinion as well. I feel safer wearing headphones [? or listening to / visualizing radar signals] than not, because my brain sometimes it can rely on my hearing to hear cars behind me, when the only thing that's actually affective is to actually look
Wearing headphones makes my brain realize that I'd better look - which is far far safer than hoping a car passing me is making enough noise to hear it.
You can't rely on your ears for knowing what's behind you, you have to look.
For example, in hospitals, so-called “alarm fatique” has been described to the incessant barrage of false alarm signals. I still think a rearward mirror glance is definitive, and safer than an over-the-shoulder look
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...
I really don’t want to turn my head for an over shoulder glance away from the line of travel when speeding downhill on a pothole-strewn road with heavy traffic to my left and parked cars to my right. Furthermore, wind noise can sometimes obscure the sound of a passing car.
I find mirrors so easy to use, and so helpful that I wear
both right and left (link).
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...
When I was hit from behind, it was on a wide, low-volume, well-lit residential road at about 9 PM in June, by a “distracted driver.” The route was so calm that I was not closely monitoring my rearward view. In fact, though perhaps I could have ditched the bike, I’m glad I didn’t see it coming if I was going to get hit anyways.
I once read a comment that one should practice doing "bunny hops" so at least you could jump a curb if present on your right.
Obviously that’s the ultimate use of a mirror, and now I monitor rearwards more frequently.
So hopefully being aware of the situation behind, even when not in immediate danger, allows the rider to avoid a dangerous situation, even by pulling off the road. And other than my accident, I’ve never had the need to bail out.
IMO, besides routine monitoring rearwards with the mirror,
a most important use is to make quick decisions when encountering an obstacle in front of you, such as a car door, pothole, car entering your path, etc. Can you immediately veer left?
Originally Posted by MattTheHat
(from a now-closed thread)
Can someone...anyone...explain how knowing a car is behind you makes any difference whatsoever? Please?
I've asked this in other threads and never gotten a response. In other words, what do you do with the information?
What do you do differently? Are you pulling off the road or something?
It seems to me that if you do anything differently based on whether or not a car is behind you is just a recipe for disaster, because you're going to eventually get it wrong.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...
At what point do you realize that the upcoming car ain't gonna swerve out of your line of travel? 
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 05-31-20 at 06:31 AM.
Reason: added quote by MattTheHat