Driveway road mirror (request ideas for a cheap workable mirror)

On Jan 25, 7:14*am, gpsman > wrote:
> On Jan 24, 11:25*pm, Chuck Banshee > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Still, that's not a safety margin so I have to stop all the time (of
> > course).
>
> > One thing a friend suggested is making a reflective roadside mirror out
> > of 'something'.
>
> With the proliferation of businesses going tits-up used "safety
> mirrors" should be plentiful. *I had hundreds a couple years ago I
> couldn't give away.http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/saf...rrors/traffic-...
>
> Still, I have to wonder about your implied conclusion that a mirror
> (or mirrors) would serve as an adequate safety margin, and your desire
> to "save" 3, maybe 5 seconds under those circumstances.
>
> Entering a roadway from a private driveway may require by law a
> "special stop"...
> *-----
>
> - gpsman

Those mirrors are common in the backwoods areas of NJ where I have
traveled many times.

On Jan 24, 11:07*pm, "Steve W." > wrote:
> Chuck Banshee wrote:
> > My driveway angles at a sharp angle to an infrequently used road such
> > that I almost never have to even look to see if there's traffic (because
> > there's only traffic about once a month at the time I'm entering the
> > road).
>
> > Still, that's not a safety margin so I have to stop all the time (of
> > course).
>
> > One thing a friend suggested is making a reflective roadside mirror out
> > of 'something'.
>
> > Have you guys any ideas to bump me to the next stage on this idea of
> > adding a mirror at the end of my driveway to see traffic (and, I guess,
> > for the traffic to see me)?
>
> Back into your driveway.
> For a mirror you can usually buy the big convex ones reasonable from
> outfits that sell security products or warehouse equipment.
> Just mount it across from the driveway up so lights don't hit it and
> plows can't wipe it out.
> Should allow you to see both ways enough to determine if something is
> coming.
>
> --
> Steve W.

Hear, hear.

Back your car into the driveway/garage while it's an easy thing to do.

Then your all set for view coming out, and better yet, in an emergency
it's straight out.

On Jan 25, 12:30*pm, "hr(bob) " >
wrote:
> On Jan 25, 7:14*am, gpsman > wrote:
> > On Jan 24, 11:25*pm, Chuck Banshee > wrote:
>
> > > Still, that's not a safety margin so I have to stop all the time (of
> > > course).
>
> > > One thing a friend suggested is making a reflective roadside mirror out
> > > of 'something'.
>
> > Still, I have to wonder about your implied conclusion that a mirror
> > (or mirrors) would serve as an adequate safety margin, and your desire
> > to "save" 3, maybe 5 seconds under those circumstances.
>
> > Entering a roadway from a private driveway may require by law a
> > "special stop"...
>
> Those mirrors are common in the backwoods areas of NJ where I have
> traveled many times.

So... what...?
-----

- gpsman

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:14:48 -0600, Steve Barker wrote:
> It was 4'x8'. Check with your local plexiglas/lexan dealer.
> you could probably even bend it convex for a wider angle view.

I've never heard of a 'local plexiglas/lexan dealer' but I can google for
that to see what I find.

Since there is a guardrail on the road curve, a long sheet of 'something'
that is attached to the guardrail might be perfect.

It would allow the infrequent drivers on the road to see me and for me to
see them.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:16:22 -0600, Steve Barker wrote:

> http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23752

That's the kind of ideas that help everyone as price is an important
consideration for something here that isn't absolutely necessary.

Given there is a guardrail along the curve where the road and driveway
meet, the cheapest alternative solution, might be one of the following:
* PN 45613 Clear Mirror Sheet,12"x24" (x1/8"Thick), $15.28
* PN 45620 Clear Mirror Sheet,12"x24" (x1/4"Thick), $24.92

I wonder (aloud) if it will work, bolted to the guardrail ...

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:43:31 -0800, Evan wrote:

> If you pull your car in the driveway backwards off the road upon
> approach when you can see all the traffic

This gravel driveway is a couple hundred feet long, curved, hilly, and
unlit. I doubt backing up will be feasible in the long run.

> It is better in the long term to remove any obstacles

Agreed. But, that would be a major multiple-thousands-of-dollars
construction project, and the land isn't all mine so it would require
agreement from neighbors and permits.

I think a $25 mirror is simpler - and cheaper (if/when I find it).

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:07:11 -0500, Steve W. wrote:

> For a mirror you can usually buy the big convex ones reasonable from
> outfits that sell security products or warehouse equipment.

The problem is the expense (so far) of the convex mirrors.

I'm looking at a cheap material ($25 or so) that can simply be bolted to
the guardrail. If someone steals it, it's not worth a lot, so that's why
I don't want to put anything more expensive up.


> Just mount it across from the driveway up so lights don't hit it
> and plows can't wipe it out.

I'm thinking of bolting it to the guardrail on the street just across
from the driveway. For that, a strip about a foot wide and as long as is
still cheap might work (if the angles are right).

There are no plows out here - but plenty of thieves so it would need to
be so cheap nobody would want to steal it.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:40:34 -0800, Robert Macy wrote:

> Back your car into the driveway/garage while it's an easy thing to do.

This is the third person to suggest backing in the driveway so I
apologize for not stating that this would be more work (over time) than
just building a new driveway would.

The driveway is hundreds of feet long, hilly, curved, mostly gravel,
unlit, and not at all conducive to backing up into.

All I'm looking for is a cheap mirror source. About $25 or so, because
anything worth more than that gets stolen around here. I would just like
to find a strip of mirror to bolt to the guardrail on the road.

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:14:02 -0800, gpsman wrote:

> Still, I have to wonder about your implied conclusion that a mirror (or
> mirrors) would serve as an adequate safety margin, and your desire to
> "save" 3, maybe 5 seconds under those circumstances.

That's why it has to be cheap (about $25) because it's easy enough to
stop and there's almost never crossing traffic.

Still, what's so very wrong with looking for a cheap long bendable mirror
material that can be bolted to the guardrail on the curve across from the
driveway entrance to the road?

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:33:14 -0800, JIMMIE wrote:

> Mirrors like this are very common in a lot of mountain towns where they
> have problems like yours but with much greater traffic flow. Dont have a
> clue what you call the things, maybe traffic mirrors.

Where the government puts them in, they can afford the $100 Grainger
price tag (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/saf...urity-mirrors/
traffic-safety/safety/ecatalog/N-b55) - but for what I'm looking for, it
has to be in the $25 range, including mounting.

So, IDEAS for alternative sources are what are best here (looks are
secondary).

The best bet, so far, is a strip of 1/8" thick 1-foot wide by a few feet
long mirror that I can bolt to the curved guardrail.

The angles may be all wrong though - so - it would have to be cheap to be
worth the effort and risk of it not working at all.

So far, the cheapest we can find at any decent length is this link from
Steve Barker:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23752

PN 42461 Clear Mirror Sheet,24"x48"x1/8", $61.12

Perhaps that can be sliced in half (to 12" widths) bolted to 8 foot of
the guard rail curve.

STill, $61 is pretty steep for what the objective is so that's why it's
so hard to find a cheap source for shiny plastic sheets.