If you have ever been honked at in the middle of a lane change, then it’s more than likely that you didn’t check your blind spot. After all, your car’s side mirror can only tell you so much and if your car doesn’t have a blind spot monitoring system, then you’ll have to resort to the tried-and-true method of actually turning your head to look at the blind spot.

However, one other safety measure that you can take is to equip those little side mirrors with even smaller blind spot mirrors. But do those little things actually work?

Using blind spot mirrors

You can find blind spot mirrors for sale at any auto parts store or certain retail stores. They come in a few different shapes and sizes – mostly either round or rectangular – and can be installed on virtually any car.

The size that’s right for your specific car depends on how large the car’s side mirror is. For example, if you have a large truck, like a Ford F-150, then you might need a larger blind spot mirror than you would need for a Mazda Miata.

As far as placement goes, the Chicago Tribune reports that the best position for a blind spot mirror is the outermost edge of your driver and passenger side mirrors. While the blind spot mirror can be placed on the top edge of the side mirror, some users prefer the bottom edge.

As long as you can safely see the blind spot areas in your car at a glance, that’s what matters the most. Your placement location may vary, but luckily, blind spot mirrors are easy to install via the adhesive fixed to the back of them.

Do they really help?

Yes, as long as you place the blind spot mirror correctly. Although they are small, they do the job of showing you the spots that you can’t normally see with the OEM side mirror. Be careful, though, as there is still a chance that you might not be able to see every inch of the blind spot, so proper placement is key.

Also, just like with your car’s side mirrors, the objects in those blind spot mirrors are closer than they actually appear. Be sure to find the position that works best for your driving position and car size. And if they end up falling off your mirrors, don’t worry, at least they cost less than $10.

Are there any alternatives to using blind spot mirrors?

No, unless you want to stick to the usual method of turning your head to check the blind spot. Auto Guide reports that approximately 840,000 blind spot-related accidents occur every year, so it’s easy to see the importance of being to check your blind spots before changing lanes.

Unless you want to become part of that statistic, it could be a good idea to go out and get yourself a pair of these little mirrors. You never know, they could actually save your life or at least prevent you from getting into a nasty fender bender.