The Effects of Convex Exterior Mirrors on Lane-Changing and Passing Performance of Drivers

Drivers carried out a lane-changing and passing maneuver using convex and plane exterior mirrors alone or in combination with a plane interior mirror. The data showed that the addition of the plane interior mirror compensated for judgmental errors found when convex mirrors were used alone. When the speed difference was 15 mph between the overtaking car and the subject's car, subjects accepted gaps that were too short irrespective of the exterior mirror type. The data suggested that exterior convex mirrors of radii greater than 30 in. may be used reasonably safely by drivers and would have the advantage of providing a considerably increased field-of-view compared to currently used exterior mirrors.