On my driver's side mirror, it says ';objects in mirror are closer than they appear';?

What does that mean as far as how close? For example, if I see a car coming in the lane next to me that appears to be a distance away, it's actually closer, right? But if the car is closer right in my mirror about to enter my blind spot, then it's not closer than it appears in my mirror, right?



So, is it safe to make a lane change in front of a car I see in my driver's side mirror as long I have space, time, and my speed is close to their speed? When I make a lane change in front of another car I see directly (close) in my mirror, how many feet am I giving them? Do you think it's safe or would you make a lane change like this (even in heavy traffic)? Some drivers may think of these type of lane changes as aggressive driving and may call me an idiot.



In my opinion as far as cutting another car off, if another car has to really slow down because I moved in the lane in front of them, then I consider that as a cut off. But as long my speed is close to their speed and they don't have to adjust their speed, then I don't consider that as a cut off. Basically, if I see a car coming faster then me, I'll let it pass by first before changing lanes. If I see a car that is slowly creeping along in the left lane on the interstate and I'm in the right lane creeping up on slower moving traffic, I'll signal and move in front of the car in the left lane. I hate it when people stay in the left lane while not passing and they sit there attempting to pass me for mile upon mile. Those are the type of drivers I normally move in front of if I creep up on slower moving traffic in the right lane. If drivers don't want to speed up (or speed 15 over the limit) to pass me, then they need to get in the right lane behind me, what do you think? And I sometimes see long lines of cars in the left lane because of this.



So, basically I'm wondering how many feet I'm leaving them if I see a car ';directly'; in my mirror and I move in front of it? Do you think it's safe? And of course I'm not going to really slow down after making this type of lane change.On my driver's side mirror, it says ';objects in mirror are closer than they appear';?
For starters that statement is on the Passengers side mirror ... Not the drivers side mirror.



The reason that is printed on the passenger side mirror is because in order to provide a wider field of view on the passengers side they install a mirror which is slightly convex which does expand the area of view but at the cost of making everything seen in the mirror seem smaller and therefore farther away - hence the warning!



Cutting someone off generally denotes pulling in less than one vehicle length ****************************************?br>
The length of the vehicle you are passing that is --- not your own vehicles length !!!!! In front of the other vehicle...



Therefore as long as a full car length remains between the rear of your car and the front of the car you are passing, or the length of the truck behind your car before pulling in front of a truck then you are driving properly.



If the front of a car fills either side mirror - it is too close to pull in front of... you should be able to see both headlights of a car in the lane to the right of you, or one headlight of a car in the lane to the left of you, in your inside mirror, or see a full paint stripe visible between the back of your car and the front of the car behind you in your outside mirror and a minimum of 2 full stripes for trucks, before moving to the other lane.



Be kind - give a little more room and signal your intentions generously!!!On my driver's side mirror, it says ';objects in mirror are closer than they appear';?
You should go to your local drivers licencense renewal office and ask for one of those driving books. They are usually about $1. It will answer all of that plus more.
Do not just rely on your mirrors. You must do head checks as well or you will not be able to see in your blind spot. You will get used to this mirror after a while. I don't care if people pull out in front of me as long as they get their speed up quick. like you said, if you don't have to slow down for the car that has pulled out in front of you then there is no reason to get angry.
I think you are over thinking this.



Just look in your blind spots before switching lanes and you should always be aware of the other cars around you while you are driving.
check your blind spots before turning
I think the bottom line is to make sure that you aren't just relying on your mirrors. You should also turn your head occasionally to make sure that all lanes are clear before moving. Many times drivers just use their mirrors. There is nothing wrong with using mirrors, but the phrase, ';objects in mirror are closer than they appear'; means that sometimes what we see in the mirror is not always true. Basically there are times when we may think that the mirror shows us a fixed image, but it may not always be what is correct. So to ensure we do not cut someone off, or cause an accident it is best to double check the mirrors, and turn your head in the process. You should also judge the distance between you and another vehicle. Don't just assume anything. Assuming is almost always the way to get you in an accident. The overall thing I'm stressing is to use your head and your mirrors.
No one can adjust your judgment and depth perception for you. You will have to learn to judge the right distance by the mirror on the car, whether it be convex or not. Your driver's side mirror should be a plain old flat mirror. A convex mirror, such as the one on the passenger side of most cars is the type mirror that says ';things are closer than they appear.



I have not seen your car, so I am not in a position to say you don't know what you are talking about as some of the other answers infer. I suppose it is quite possible that someone has put a convex mirror on the drivers side of your car, but it is very unlikely that it came from the factory like that.