Here is the post I made in a thread about blind spots that provides the details about the technique Gary T is referring to.
I’m pretty sure the engineers who design cars are capable of positioning and sizing them to work properly (without blind spots when properly adjusted) for the vast majority of drivers. As I mention in the post I linked to above, in the dozens of vehicles I’ve driven, I’ve never found one that had an unavoidable blind spot.
So you’re saying that one is better off with a blind spot 100% of the time rather than risk the slight chance that your mirrors have been bumped. :dubious: I can tell you that with my mirrors adjusted the right way (no blind spot) it has usually been fairly easy to notice if they’ve been bumped, and a quick movement of my head (against the left window or over to the centerline of the car, depending on which mirror) confirms it. Hardly the danger you seem to think it is.
There are definite risks to the head twist as well: people are more likely to involuntarily jerk the steering wheel when they do it. I’d be interested in a cite for your claim that it is still a requirement in driving tests.
FMVSS 111 governs the standards for rearward visibility, and specifies the minimum field of view the mirrors are supposed to cover.
How good were the side mirrors back then? I seem to remember them being rather small.
I’m sure there are many differences among different jurisdictions, but to answer the request for a cite, this is from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation official Driver’s Handbook, used for driver training and to communicate traffic laws and establish the baseline standards used for testing:
Here are the steps for making a lane change:
[ul]
[li]Check your mirrors for a space in traffic where you can enter safely.[/li][li]Check your blind spot by looking over your shoulder in the direction of the lane change. Be especially careful to check for bicycles and other small vehicles. Signal that you want to move left or right.[/li][li]Check again to make sure the way is clear and that no one is coming too fast from behind or from two lanes over on a multi-lane road.[/li][li]Steer gradually into the new lane. Do not slow down, maintain the same speed or gently increase it.[/li][/ul]
Oh, well, Canada? Say no more. 
I know you’re just joking, but out of curiosity I thought I would check the rules in a familiar nearby state. The first state I looked at, Michigan, contains the following text in the official Driving Skills Test Study Guide in the section on “Driving Skills Test Scoring Standards” (emphasis mine):
When changing lanes on an expressway or on a rural highway:
[ul]
[li]Drive at a speed approaching the flow of traffic to ensure a safe lane change.[/li][li]Check traffic in all directions. Check blind spots by looking over your shoulder before changing lanes.[/li][li]Activate your turn signal to alert other drivers that you intend to change lanes.[/li][li]Yield to any vehicles occupying the lane you are merging into.[/li][li]Merge smoothly into the next lane; keep your vehicle under control and maintain speed.[/li][li]Allow proper spacing between you and the vehicles in front of and behind you.[/li][li]Cancel your turn signal after completely merging into the lane.[/li][/ul]
Given the context (“Test Scoring Standards”) this is actually even more explicit than the Ontario handbook that it’s not just a recommendation but a criterion in the driver’s test.
Hey, same here! In fact, my Dad bought TWO 1991 Dodge Colts that day…a 5-speed manual for me (with a/c and both side mirrors), and a 4-speed manual for my brother whom was missing…a passenger side mirror!
Of course, one could argue that with properly adjusted side mirrors there are no blind spots to check, making looking over the shoulder non-applicable. Not that you’d win an argument with a state driving test judge, but the point has merit.