Does anyone use mirrors on private road?

[joeyd]

I live on a private road shared by 9 families currently with a possibility of 15 total eventually. One of the neighbors has installed a 30" convex mirror on a bad curve to help with visibility of oncoming traffic. We don't get a lot of traffic but with cell phones and heavy feet on the gas pedal it can raise the pucker factor at times. Does anyone else use them or know of them being used? We are in a forested area and I do wonder about fire safety. The neighbor believes that a convex mirror bends light not concentrates it so there would be no problem. Thoughts??

 

[4570Man]

A convex lens could start a fire, but I don't think there's any danger with a convex mirror.

 

[Old Guy in Tenn]

Convex mirror spreads light and will not increase fire danger. Concave mirror focuses light and could possibly (not likely) cause a fire.

 

[oosik]

I've seen a large mirror used on a blind corner at Costco. It shows what is coming at you from the other side of the building.

 

[NorTracNY]

Zero risk of fire with a convex mirror. Focus of the light will always be virtual.

 

[ovrszd]

I believe I would visit the neighbor and offer to pay for part of the mirror. He's done everyone a favor and would appreciate support.

 

[bigtiller]

There were mirrors at busy intersections inside the buildings where I worked. The traffic there was forklifts. They did help sometimes but it seamed that a lot of drivers never looked at them because they forgot to or because they were always dirty. It was hard to see a moving forklift in a dirty mirror especially if their lights weren't on. I seldom ever seen a pedestrian in the mirror.

If the mirror is clean, everyone has their lights on and you don't forget to look at the mirror, they work great. Pedestrians need to yield to the vehicle for their own safety.

I don't have any experience with one outside.

 

[joeyd]

I believe I would visit the neighbor and offer to pay for part of the mirror. He's done everyone a favor and would appreciate support.

We have a road association and if the mirror helps the way he thinks it will I am sure we will vote to pay for it. As it stands it is in "test" mode and we will wait and see originally he wanted to buy and place 4 mirrors around the road without association approval. The mirrors are about $150.00 each and I thought he was jumping the gun putting 4 up. BTW the mirror is not on his property he installed it on a parcel owned by an out of state member. The association does have an easement for the road that includes maintenance and repair, he felt this fell under improvement.

 

[PILOON]

We installed one a few years back at a blind corner.
Problem was it became a target for kids with air rifles so it is no longer.

 

[gwstang]

Way back in '75, I was Navy on Okinawa and they had lots of those convex mirrors on many streets/roads. I really liked them as they did a good job of allowing to see around a corner. A lot of those streets were probably just cart paths and very tiny strips of street until we showed up in WWII. The mirrors helped a lot. Neat idea on your neighbors part.

 

[kc5dlo]

There is one on a busy street in town where my house is. Helps the homeowner see better as he backs out of the drive. I don't see it benefitting anyone but the people using the driveway it is installed at. Certainly should be the responsibility of the person needing the mirror and not the entire neighborhood.

 

[Code54]

When I lived in PA they were rather common on rural roads or bad curves. Never even heard of any issues

 

[joeyd]

When I lived in PA they were rather common on rural roads or bad curves. Never even heard of any issues

That's what I wanted to hear, thanks!

 

[Redneck in training]

They are very common in Europe. I don't remember any issues or glare problems.

 

[bcp]

If concentrating the light makes a hot spot, why doesn't spreading out the light make a cold spot?



Bruce

 

[the old grind]

My brother was cleaning his Lotus' interior and laid a smoked-glass roof panel on the lawn, concave side up. It was a day or so before he noticed melted vinyl under the eave on the garage. Might as well have used a torch on it. Scared us as to what could(?) have happened if the wisteria had caught fire ...

Radio Shack sold a pocket-sized concave shiny metal cig lighter with a fold-out prop to hold your coffin nail in position.

Those those convex stick-ons aren't just for side mirrors and backing up. Put one on the inside rear-view mirror when the MIL sits in back. She'll look smaller and farther away, may be easier to 'tune out'.

 

[joeyd]

If concentrating the light makes a hot spot, why doesn't spreading out the light make a cold spot?



Bruce

:laughing:

 

[Dennisfly]

We have a large POA with 26 miles of one lane dirt roads and a number of blind curves. The roads are surrounded by pine and wild growth. There are at least 10 mirrors that have been there for some time and there have been no problems. They are convex and I believe the most recent ones were purchased from Grainger.

 

[NorTracNY]

If concentrating the light makes a hot spot, why doesn't spreading out the light make a cold spot?



Bruce

Making the cold spot is done by focusing the moon light.