Hi,
I've been unhappy with the blind spots and never really felt the OEM mirrors were doing a through job. But in another thread at PriusChat, some folks suggested after-market, convex mirrors. I picked up a pair of 2"x1" convex mirrors, $2/each, at the local Autozone and started this experiment:
This is the rear view mirror of our 2003, NHW11 Prius.
Driving home, it worked perfectly and in a few minutes, I'll try some night driving. Barring some problem at night, this is working well. I'm now seeing cars in the blind spots, just behind the rear passenger doors, on both sides of the car. Not visible because the cell phone is closer than my normal eye position, the two convex mirrors overlap in the center. Also, these mirrors fit in the same area that the rear passenger head rests normally block the rear view.
For less than $5, I finally feel comfortable that the blind spots are covered. I'm seeing vehicles that otherwise are not seen in the OEM mirrors. FYI, these particular, convex mirrors are "Pilot" MI-003 bought at Autozone. I have no financial interest in Pilot or Autozone.
Bob Wilson