Objects in rear view mirror appear too often?

I was taking an autorickshaw to work today (once more had my bike swiped by colleagues), when I noticed that my driver was painfully slow, utterly careful bordering on paranoid, and probably spent as much time looking forward as he did looking behind... Set me thinking...

How often do I check my mirrors? I discovered that I don't have a set schedule. When I'm riding faster than traffic, I don't usually check that often. When I'm slower I look every time I can. When I'm on the highway, I check everytime I plan a status change (brakes, throttle, overtake, corner...)

But more importantly, I noticed that our man was still missing stuff that was very obviously in his mirrors. So, when you do look in the motorcycle's rear view, you look, but do you really see? If yes, how do you make the process more efficient, take up less time?

I find that I naturally tend to 'catalogue' what's behind. Sometimes I drive myself to distraction wondering where the aggressively driven silver Indica I spotted went... or some such. Also, when I take a second look in my mirrors, the time gap 'happens' when I'm ready to just take a quick 'update.' I note more or less what's changed. Where a specific car is, where a vehicle has gone, on the same lines... I hardly ever need to re-catalog from scratch.

On the other hand, I have consciously made an effort to see what's happening. I caught myself looking over my shoulder just before overtakes, and then continue with the manouvre only to discover that I hadn't, in fact, spotted another car/motorbike about to do the same. In effect, I was looking over as a courtesy, and not really trying to spot hazards.

Since then, I've fixed that. I now actively scan (to use a MSF term) for other users. And at night, I remember that there will be a few morons who won't run lights because they think it'll pinch'em when the electricity bill arrives.

I also heard from a colleague who likes to adjust one mirror wide (big view) and one mirror narrow (closer, narrow field) so that he can jink out on the narrow side in traffic if needed. I don't necessarily agree. I'd rather set both mirrors wide, know exactly what's up behind and take a detailed lifesaver check before pulling out. There's always that much time...

And you?