Automatic folding mirrors on luxury cars encourage dooring
I've had a couple of near doorings involving luxury cars (both Mercedes) that had side mirrors that automatically fold in. I can't help but think those folded mirrors discourage motorists from making sure it's safe to open the door, and I think that feature was designed to protect the luxury car owner, but without any thought to the safety of the driver or passengers, or others who might be traveling near the car. Thoughts?
Views: 406
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on
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I submitted a comment on http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/contact_us/overview and suggested they leave the mirror out until the door is locked.
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Permalink Reply by blair_ on -
By the way most luxury car owners drive, you'd think the rear view mirror folds up once the car is started.
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Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on -
That is a very interesting thought. I would be very interested to see statistics on dooring incidents to learn what percentage of vehicles involved had folding mirrors.
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Permalink Reply by Mark on -
Are you sure the mirrors fold right away when the ignition is shut off? It would make sense to wait until the car is locked, like you are suggesting.
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Permalink Reply by Will on -
Well I'm seeing people open their doors (into my path) with their mirrors already folded, so I assume they're folding when the ignition is shut off, or possibly when they shift into park.
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Permalink Reply by Will on
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It would, but I doubt that's a data point being collected.
Brendan Kevenides said:That is a very interesting thought. I would be very interested to see statistics on dooring incidents to learn what percentage of vehicles involved had folding mirrors.
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Permalink Reply by BruceBikes on -
I drove a Renault in France recently that folded its mirrors when you pulled the key out of the ignition. (It was actually one of those keyless fobs that you put into a slot in the console.)
I agree a better method would be to fold the mirrors when you hit the lock button on the fob.
Mark said:Are you sure the mirrors fold right away when the ignition is shut off? It would make sense to wait until the car is locked, like you are suggesting.
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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) on -
I've found that drivers of luxury cars in general tend to be less concerned about others around them.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Schneider on -
I don't assume that nobody is in the car, just about to kick the door open, just because a mirror is folded. I stay well away from all doors, regardless of mirror position.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on -
That has often been my experience. I usually try to stay further away from them than from other types of cars.
Adam Herstein said:I've found that drivers of luxury cars in general tend to be less concerned about others around them.
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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) on
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I think it's because they spent more money on their car, so they feel more entitled to the road. Land Rovers and Mercedes tend to be the worst offenders. I will never fully comprehend why people who live in Chicago – or any dense urban area for that matter – choose to drive giant SUVs. I'm sure they are much harder to maneuver on tight city streets and more difficult to park on the street as well.
Anne Alt said:That has often been my experience. I usually try to stay further away from them than from other types of cars.
Adam Herstein said:I've found that drivers of luxury cars in general tend to be less concerned about others around them.
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