ARE DRIVER-SIDE CONVEX MIRRORS HELPFUL OR HARMFUL

This analysis of accident data was designed to replicate and extend an earlier analysis that investigated the effects of different types of driver-side miners on lane-change accidents (Luoma, Sivak and Flannaga n, 1995). The present analysis was based on 3038 lane-change accidents that occurred in Britain between 1989 and 1992. Mirror information fo r the most popular car models in Britain was collected to identify dif ferent types of exterior miners. Data analysis was based on the odds r atio of cars with different types of driver-side mirrors (plane or con vex) being involved in a lane-change accident to the driver side. Beca use; all cars were equipped with the same type of passenger-side mirro r (convex), lane-change accidents to the passenger side served as base line data to control for exposure. The results can be summarized as fo llows: 1 Convex driver-side mirrors do not increase the risk of being involved in lane-change accidents to the driver side. 2 Consistent wit h the findings of Luoma et al. (1995), accident data for the largest c ars revealed a tendency, albeit not statistically significant, for a d ecrease in lane-change accidents to the driver side when equipped with convex driver-side miners. 3 Convex driver-side mirrors tended to be beneficial for the highest risk groups-the youngest and the oldest dri vers.