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

[Chuck Banshee]

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)?

[Vic Smith]

It all seems like a bad idea to me. Just keep doing what you've been doing.

--Vic

[Steve Barker]

you can buy an "acrylic" mirror in about any size you want. I worked at a spa factory and we hung one over the vacuum forming process so customers could watch their shell being "pulled". It was 4'x8'. Check with your local plexiglas/lexan dealer. you could probably even bend it convex for a wider angle view.

[Steve Barker]

[Evan]

If you pull your car in the driveway backwards off the road upon approach when you can see all the traffic, then when you are pulling out you can look both ways easily...

Those mirror things don't work out the best... It is better in the long term to remove any obstacles in the name of safety than it is to try and look around them...

~~ Evan

[Steve W.]

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.

[SecondHoncho]

Some of the people arround here have round convex mirrors 18 or 24 inches in diameter, often on a tree just across from their driveway.

Calysta for First Tramp?

[JIMMIE]

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.

Jimmie

[The Daring Dufas]

I've installed this type mirror for people in stores and driveways.

TDD

[Robert Macy]

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.

[gpsman]

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

- gpsman

[Chuck Banshee]

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.

[Chuck Banshee]

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), .28

• PN 45620 Clear Mirror Sheet,12"x24" (x1/4"Thick), .92

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

[Chuck Banshee]

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

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).

[Chuck Banshee]

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.

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.

[Chuck Banshee]

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.

[Chuck Banshee]

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?

[Chuck Banshee]

Where the government puts them in, they can afford the $100 Grainger price tag

- 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:

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.

[Steve Barker]

until it gets filthicated.

[gpsman]

I think that's somewhat subjective.

1. Stopping is free, and requires virtually no effort.
2. Stopping is smart, and being that smart requires virtually no effort.
3. I don't think citizens are permitted by any state to attach anything to a guardrail or any other public property/ROW.
4. Something like that has the possibility of adverse unintended consequences, like blinding/confusing approaching motorists at night.
5. In the event of a crash, day or night, your mirror might be cited and/or accepted as a contributing factor, whether or not it in fact is.

Many people, including "officials", are convinced crashes can be caused by red light cameras, fog, icy roads, ad infinitum, despite the fact that most motorists manage to not crash in the identical circumstances, at the same place and time.

Other than that, and your problem being imaginary, nothing. -----

- gpsman