Originally Posted by
AlmostTrick
I want to know where exactly in the lane the cars are, and if they are shifting position and/or slowing down. That's why I constantly monitor my mirror.
If I was ever hit or had a close call from behind and didn't see it coming I'd consider that a failure on my part.
Originally Posted by
rsbob
I know this statement will be controversial, but what the H. Have often wondered how effective a rear view mirror or radar or sensors are at actually preventing a collision between an inattentive driver and a cyclist. If the driver has his eyes off the road and is heading towards the shoulder at 45 and the cyclist is doing 15, with a couple of second closing speed and a relative distance of 50 feet, can a cyclist actually get off the shoulder and into a ditch in time? What are the chances that the cyclist is not monitoring their device at that time?
I used a mirror when I first started cycling because to be honest, I was inexperienced and fearful of being hit. After, in all likelihood of 100,000 miles, I have yet been run down from the back which means, TO ME, that the odds are relatively small of that event occurring. That’s the way my brain works is looking at the odds of an event and the risk versus reward. Can I get off the road fast enough when a vehicle bearing down on me at 3 to 4 times my speed heads towards me? Personally I doubt it, especially if they go off the shoulder too.
I can hear the rebuttals, of why not take every precaution, why not be safe than sorry, I just feel better, but I would rather relax rather than constantly be monitoring that there is a remote chance. Cycling is inherently risky and I accept that risk, remembering that I like my odds.
The only time I would fine a mirror handy is on a couple of rural roads that are so rutted and broken up that the only comfortable place to ride is the center of the lane and it would give me time to see oncoming cars, so I can get over, rather than looking over my shoulder every 10 seconds.
So how many can definitively state their life has been saved by a mirror, radar, or what have you?. My sample size is one, so please educate me. Or does peace of mind over rule the odds?
I agree with rsbob more than AlmostTrick - I find it necessary to remind myself sometimes to concentrate more on what's in front of me than behind, so I don't agree with "constantly monitoring" a mirror. Mirrors are for quick glances when necessary (turning/changing lanes, to see how many cars are coming from behind when you hear one approaching, to get a
rough estimate of how close the vehicle
may pass, etc.), not for constant attention, and they should not take your focus from the road in front of you for more than a second (usually less) IMHO. And sometimes, even with a mirror, it is still necessary to turn your head when you need a wider/farther view (preparing to cross multiple lanes of high-speed traffic, for example).
On the other hand, there are a couple of other reasons to wear a mirror that have not been mentioned. First, I've found that, as I age, my balance is not as good as it once was, and turning my head to check traffic causes me to veer more from a straight line than I did in the past. Using a mirror allows me to shift my eyes without turning my head, which is much less disruptive to my balance. Also it's quicker to shift my eyes for a half a second than to turn my whole head and then turn it back when I need to see behind me, so my attention is where it needs to be more.
I agree that a mirror is practically useless in preventing the proverbial hit-from-behind. I, at least, am regularly passed very closely by vehicles and I don't think that I, personally, could distinguish the 12" difference between "close" and "hit" in an inch square piece of mirror glanced at for a fraction of a second several seconds before the pass.