Do you turn you head to check your blind spot before making a lane change? Here in congested San Francisco, turning your head even briefly away can increase your risk of being in a car accident. There's a way to reset your mirrors that makes head turning unnecessary. It's the Blindspot and Glare Elimination (BGE) mirror setting. The BGE was developed in 1996 by a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) named George Platzer. The BGE setting changes the view of your side mirrors to show your blind spots, rather than the view behind, which is already covered by your rear view mirror. An added benefit of the BGE setting is the elimination of glare from passing cars.
For drivers who are accustomed to the typical side mirror settings, switching to the BGE setting is a bit difficult initially, due to disorientation when looking at the side view mirror when the side of their vehicle is no longer visible, but after switching, most acclimate to the new settings and find it a better way to drive.
There are several advantages to the BGE setting:
The BGE setting involves tipping your mirrors out about 15 degrees farther than the typical setting. Here's how to do it:
Place your head against the driver's side window and adjust the driver's side mirror so you can barely see the driver's side of your car. (This is the view you would have on typical settings without moving your head.)
Move your head as close to the center of the car as possible and adjust the passenger's side mirror so you can barely see the passenger's side of your car.
To check your BGE setting, watch as a car passes you in an adjacent lane. It should enter your outside mirror before it leaves the rearview (inside) mirror. Also, the car should appear in your peripheral vision before it leaves the outside mirror.
To use the mirrors with the BGE settings, check your rearview first to see if anyone is coming up from behind, then just glance in the sideview mirror.
I switched to the BGE setting, and have found myself wishing I had been using BGE all along.
Callaway & Wolf have handled many San Francisco car accident personal injury cases around the Bay Area, including ones in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Mateo, and all the Bay Area counties.
