For those with BSM, how far behind you are you being alerted?

My Sport has it, I've seen the mirrors light up upon occasion, not at all annoying; then there is the rear cross traffic alerts, I've only heard that once when I was backing out while parked next to a large panel truck and the buzzer alerted me to a vehicle which there was no way I could see. I am not one who typically likes electronic nannies (I have Lane Departure Alert turned off, and I virtually never use the radar cruise control) but I think the BSM is very useful when driving in a crowded urban environment.

 

A few times per month I need to attend meetings in Boston and when I park in the parking garage I always back in; the parking assist feature is great for allowing me to get the truck all of the way back to the wall without touching it.

 

It is not designed for that purpose and is disengaged at low speeds like that.

The two major functions are to give a visual indicator if there is a vehicle in your blind spot while traveling down the highway. The other being to alert you if a car or person is crossing behind you if you are backing OUT of a parking spot

 

I very much like the BSM on these trucks. Yes, the engagement zone is very close but it is such that if not lit you could make a lane change without contact. It isn't a market to tell you it's safe to change lanes, it's just to tell you something is in the space that is the blind spot.

As for mirror adjustment.
You should not see the side of the vehicle in the side mirrors when sitting normally. That said, they also should not be pointed out away from the vehicle. The side mirrors are not just for seeing what is next to you, they are also to see what is approaching from behind on the left or right lane. They are intended to look down the side of the vehicle, not out, and if you angle them out you lose some visibility as to what is coming up behind you. In some cases the rearview mirror works for this but it is easily blocked by traffic directly behind you which is why you also have side mirrors

 

I am blind in my left eye so I like the safety add on. My depth perception is non-existant. I bought the Spotter Mirrior which includes the BSM and the adjustable blind spot mirrior at the bottom of the sideview mirror. It may not be the best but it helps me.

 

1.5 car lengths is not what I would estimate. Within one car length like you originally stated is my general observation. Enough to give me comfort that the peeps I am passing have an accurate warning.

A half car length on your Taco isn't horrible.

I would be quite surprised if the BSM doesn't adapt to the closing speed just like the adaptive cruise / emergency braking does. Again for my observations, BSM seem to work consistently well on all vehicles that I have been near.

 

Back in my early to mid-50s I went blind first in my right eye, then my left, with what are called "juvenile cataracts"; when my right eye went I didn't have health insurance, and due to the severity of the cataract, my ophthalmologist told me it was going to set me back $16,000 to have it fixed! It took nearly another year before I could figure out how to pay for surgery and in that time I did a pretty fair amount of driving (nearly 20,000 miles); my car at the time didn't have any BSM functionality so I just had to make do. I told you that to tell you this, I think you're really smart to have gone the route of the aftermarket Spotter Mirror and sideview mirror add-ons.

 

That is a distinct possibility. I'll have to take notice of that situation.

 

Sorta one of the things about gizmos these days. We never get the fully story up front.

Always a problem getting rentals these days. No idea how the active systems will react, even knowing if the radar cruise shuts of at certain speed or can come to a full stop and accelerate again.

 

we were also taught the 3 second rule, that I still use to this day. the rear of the car in front of you passes an object, you count 1000-1, 1000-2, 1000-3, if your vehicle gets to the object before three, you are too close. people filtering in to the "gap" then not maintaining, or accelerating to extend that gap, piss me off to no end. Ski

 

Yes, for me too, it is the rear cross traffic alert that I agree, has been the most helpful, although on occasion, the BSM part has also been helpful, as when I go to look at the side mirrors, the lighted signal about their being something there, is also helpful. And regarding the aftermarket BSM package being available, go do youtube and do a search for aftermarket Blind Spot Monitors. I'm not able to do it now, as I have to get off the computer, but I saw it there.

 

Not many people are in our situation. I'm glad things worked out for you. I highly recommed Spotter Mirror or an equivilent.

 

The Spotter mirrors are excellent, but I mainly have the moveable part set of seeing the rear tires for wheeling.


Setting side mirrors to kill blind spots took a lot of preaching to my fam.

 

Is your left eye recoverable, or is the blindness permanent? When I went blind in my right eye, and then two years later in my left eye, I noticed a distinct difference; I'm right-eye dominant and found it MUCH easier to navigate life when I was left-eye blind versus when I was right-eye blind.

 

How big of a blind spot is there on a Tacoma?

I'm thinking maybe three feet on a DCLB.

 

Added my own BSM. Best thing I’ve done. Especially back up warning. My light is inside the truck on mirror cover

 

I was wondering, so I checked tonight and it seems to trigger when the other cars are about to get to my rear bumper. So it does what it’s supposed to do.

 

No. Not at all. This was due to trauma. I have spent my life compensating and seriously protecting my right eye. The worst part was that I'm unable to pass any employment physical that required a vision test.

 

Ugh, that sucks. Have you taken your career in a direction which doesn't require good vision?

 

Well, I am a Paramedic and the service I work for did not require a physical but I was fully transparent as to my situation. I have been there 25 years. I aquired my RN and feel that as my vision deterioates, I will have to give up EMS. Merry Christmas.