Mirror on the Car

Category – Driving School

Website – http://localdriverseducation.com/

About Company – At Local Driving School, we provide our students with simple, clear and comprehensive In-Car-Driving training for Teen and Adults. Our approach and methodologies help all of our students become safe, smart and competent drivers.

The mirrors in your car are magic; they might not be able to tell you “who is the fairest of them all?” But used correctly they can make you a much better defensive driver. In order to see behind you while you drive, your car comes with three rear-view mirrors. The center mirror is the one you hang your air freshener from, and gives you a view through your back window. The other two side mirrors (also called the wing mirrors) allow you to see what’s happening on either side of your car. To get the most out of your mirrors you will have to learn to adjust them to get the highest amount of visibility possible.

When you adjust your mirrors keep in mind that you don’t want to have to move your head to use them. You should just be able to glance at them with your eyes while you remain seated in the driver’s seat. Sit back comfortably and start with your center mirror. Make sure there are no obstructions, and you aren’t seeing too much of the back seat. The mirror should be aligned to be parallel with your back window, and allow an unimpeded view of what’s directly behind you.

As technology moves forward not only are we able to change the TV channel without moving from our Lazy Boy recliner, we also can also adjust our side mirrors without physically touching them. In modern cars there are buttons located on the dashboard or inside of the car door where the side mirrors can be moved electronically. There will be a left/right control switch which can be used to choose which mirror you want to adjust. I have my students start with the left side mirror, and move it to a position where they can see the lane next to them and the left back edge of the car. If you see too much of the side of the car, the mirror is tilted too far in, if you can’t see any of your car, then the mirror is angled too far out.

Adjust the right side mirror the same way, but tilt it a bit more downwards, this will allow you to see the top of the curb while you park, and help you when you back up next to it. If done correctly the horizon line will be in the middle of the mirror, and the road behind you will look flat rather than angled. Even if you position your mirrors perfectly there will still be blind spots, but by correctly adjusting them you will minimize them as much as possible.

When driving at night you’ll want to see if your center rear view mirror has a night view setting that will help you reduce glare from the car headlights behind you. You can usually find the button for this setting attached under the mirror or on the side of it.

If you are over six feet tall, not only can you reach objects on the top shelf with ease, but you might also want to flip your rear view mirror upside down. This will reposition the mirror so the bottom edge is an inch or two higher than usual, and will help reduce the blind spot for taller drivers. Adjusting and using the mirrors correctly will greatly improve the safety of your driving. You will still need to move your head and look over your shoulder to check your blind spots. Unless you have eyes in the back of your head, take the time to set your mirrors the right way. That way your hindsight really will be 20/20.