My Solution to the Blind Spot Problem

[JeffK]

The lack of blind spot indicators on the side mirrors are a big mistake.

Consider this, all blind spot indicators that you are familiar with to date, indicate a vehicle in a range of only a few meters at best. Drivers of these non-Tesla vehicles who rely on these indicators instead of actually looking in their mirror are likely to hit a fast moving vehicle in the lane they intend to move into.

I totaled my previous vehicle due to a driver using only the indicator instead of actually looking in the mirror then entering my lane at a much lower speed than my own.

 

[sperkin]

Consider this, all blind spot indicators that you are familiar with to date, indicate a vehicle in a range of only a few meters at best. Drivers of these non-Tesla vehicles who rely on these indicators instead of actually looking in their mirror are likely to hit a fast moving vehicle in the lane they intend to move into.

I totaled my previous vehicle due to a driver using only the indicator instead of actually looking in the mirror then entering my lane at a much lower speed than my own.

I've also seen cars changing lanes into me when I was in their blind spot and they have the blind spot warning light On at night. Some people just don't care or be bothered to look in their mirrors. They've zoned out once they hit the highway.

 

[JeffK]

I think an audible warning should be a thing in all cars if you put on a signal and there's a car there. In a Tesla you should get the same warning if a car is coming up at speed too.

 

[SigNC]

This seems pretty basic to me. If you aren't in AP and you put the turn signal on in a scenario where the road line would turn red IF you were in AP it just gives you some kind of audible alert or at least an option to have that alert. It's clear it already can monitor if you should or should not be merging over. It doesn't need to be the "impending crash" alert but something a little less aggressive would do fine IMO.

 

[Reid]

a) The side mirrors do cover the blind spots.

Nope. It's fine in my loaner S, but in the 3, the mirrors won't adjust out far enough.

Most cars in Europe have a gradual transition from a flat mirror to a spherical mirror, in the US, there has to be a separation so if you look at a car like a Ford Escape there is a separate spherical mirror placed in the corner next to the flat mirror. On my e92 m3, the EU version has the outside edge as spherical but the US version is just 1 single normal mirror.
Here is a more detailed explanation if you're interested : Boxster Aspheric Mirror Page
I'm curious if Tesla's in Europe have similar mirrors...anyone know?

Yup, I'm just waiting for aspheric mirrors for the 3. Had them in my BMWs and VW. Can't wait till those euro shipments begin!

Blind spot warning systems are a bit of a gimmick. Or, at best, a last resort. You don't want to *rely* on it to tell you you're not going to crash into another car. Had it on my last vehicle. It worked well, I guess.

 

[bradhs]

Let me know if Tesla releases aspheric mirrors. I'd buy one.

Nope. It's fine in my loaner S, but in the 3, the mirrors won't adjust out far enough.



Yup, I'm just waiting for aspheric mirrors for the 3. Had them in my BMWs and VW. Can't wait till those euro shipments begin!

Blind spot warning systems are a bit of a gimmick. Or, at best, a last resort. You don't want to *rely* on it to tell you you're not going to crash into another car. Had it on my last vehicle. It worked well, I guess.

 

[zhu-]

Consider this, all blind spot indicators that you are familiar with to date, indicate a vehicle in a range of only a few meters at best. Drivers of these non-Tesla vehicles who rely on these indicators instead of actually looking in their mirror are likely to hit a fast moving vehicle in the lane they intend to move into.

I totaled my previous vehicle due to a driver using only the indicator instead of actually looking in the mirror then entering my lane at a much lower speed than my own.

Sorry to hear about your previous car! Blindspot indicators should never be used alone. My ideal mirror setup is when I look just beyond the edge of my car's rear sides so I can see the whole lane, then have the blindspot monitor watch that 6-10ft blindspot range. In my Model 3 I currently have the mirrors set the recommended way with no blindspots, but I find this a compromise as it takes around a second longer to verify the entire lane is clear with nobody speeding in at 100mph. It's fine most of the time, but if someone in front of me makes a sudden stop, that delay often requires me to brake whereas in my previous cars I always had higher awareness of my surroundings and could make a last second lane change.

 

[ranova]

Nope. It's fine in my loaner S, but in the 3, the mirrors won't adjust out far enough.



Yup, I'm just waiting for aspheric mirrors for the 3. Had them in my BMWs and VW. Can't wait till those euro shipments begin!

Blind spot warning systems are a bit of a gimmick. Or, at best, a last resort. You don't want to *rely* on it to tell you you're not going to crash into another car. Had it on my last vehicle. It worked well, I guess.

Im in for a set once they start shipping. The horrendous dimming of the stock mirrors is too dark imo, with or without tint. did they make aspheric mirrors for the S or X?

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

It does seem to be an issue related to the height of the driver and seems to affect those over 6’ more so than short drivers

Yes, you're less likely to notice the very real limitation of the outward angle of the mirrors if you are short, or if your preference is to sit close to the steering wheel. Because of geometry and angles. If you sit further forward, you don't need to crank the angle out so much to see things in your blind spot and get the coverage of the mirrors correct.

It's weird how people say this is not a problem just because it isn't a problem for them.

 

[ebwb]

Consider this, all blind spot indicators that you are familiar with to date, indicate a vehicle in a range of only a few meters at best. Drivers of these non-Tesla vehicles who rely on these indicators instead of actually looking in their mirror are likely to hit a fast moving vehicle in the lane they intend to move into.

I totaled my previous vehicle due to a driver using only the indicator instead of actually looking in the mirror then entering my lane at a much lower speed than my own.

GM's Lane Change Alert with Blind Spot Monitoring detects fast-moving vehicles coming from afar (230 feet or 70 meters), not just vehicles currently in the blind zone. I noticed it on the Tahoe in front of me, as we were waiting to exit an off-ramp and vehicles in adjacent lanes were zooming by. Would love to see Tesla adding this in the future; ultrasonics don't have the reach.

 

[IN5ILICO]

You could....try turning your head to check? I mean, You should be doing it anyway, not relying on mirrors.

 

[Moose408]

You could....try turning your head to check? I mean, You should be doing it anyway, not relying on mirrors.

I do that as well but the pillar is right in my sight line and creates a significant blind spot that can completely hide a car. I need both to be effective.

 

[JeffK]

GM's Lane Change Alert with Blind Spot Monitoring detects fast-moving vehicles coming from afar (230 feet or 70 meters), not just vehicles currently in the blind zone. I noticed it on the Tahoe in front of me, as we were waiting to exit an off-ramp and vehicles in adjacent lanes were zooming by. Would love to see Tesla adding this in the future; ultrasonics don't have the reach.

The new GM vehicles have rear facing radar units in addition to ultrasonics. In the chevy it still uses ultrasonics to 11 ft and the radars for cars up to 70 meters.

In the Teslas, the newer firmware versions are detecting cars using vision, not just the ultrasonics. Vision has a range of 100 meters.

 

[Esquire]

I thought it was just me improperly adjusting the side mirrors. So glad I found this thread. I'm not alone in thinking the mirrors just don't adjust as far out as I'd like.

 

[JeffK]

I thought it was just me improperly adjusting the side mirrors. So glad I found this thread. I'm not alone in thinking the mirrors just don't adjust as far out as I'd like.

I, personally, just look over my shoulder for anything the mirror doesn't cover.

 

[Esquire]

I, personally, just look over my shoulder for anything the mirror doesn't cover.

Ok. But everyone should already be doing that.

 

[JeffK]

Ok. But everyone should already be doing that.

I know, right?!

 

[derekmw]

No one uses the camera?

I have the camera up (I always had it up on my Model S) always. I know it's a bit more cumbersome with the 3 since anything else you touch on screen turns it off again. But with the camera's angle, and side mirrors angled right, I have never had issues with blind spots in the 3 or the S. I am over 6' tall too...

I just hope an update comes soon that allows us to permanently keep the rear view camera up.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I've always used the "properly positioned mirrors" technique to eliminate or reduce blind spots. I'm not tall (only 5'8") but do have longer legs and a shorter torso so my seat is farther back than where some taller people might have their seats positioned. I've noticed the mirrors don't move outward quite enough to totally eliminate the blind spot for me. I'm sure the properly positioned mirrors technique works perfectly for some...but I suggest they try adjusting their seat and see if it works perfectly for them in all seat locations.

 

[zhu-]

You could....try turning your head to check? I mean, You should be doing it anyway, not relying on mirrors.

You might as well tell everyone to never get autopilot because you can just turn the wheel yourself. I can turn my head to check, but the technological solution has solved the problem on cars nearly a decade ago. Why the standard implementation of an LED on the side mirror is not on any Tesla is mind boggling.