Car Mirrors: Never adjusting or using car mirrors is a recipe for an accident. Terrible drivers moving in front, especially the ones driving in the right-hand lane slowly will never get a view of the car following behind as their mirrors don’t reflect their eyes. Another error is the improper adjustment of the side and rear-view mirrors. The first thing to remember when you enter the car is to adjust your seat before adjusting the mirrors.

At LTrent Driving School, the experienced instructors ensure to teach the students importance of mirror adjustments before starting the car. It can help you see beside and behind you. Modern vehicles are equipped with advanced blind-spot monitoring systems because humans were not adjusting their mirrors appropriately, so today technology is doing it. 

The first fundamental aspect instructors teach is to check the mirrors because even if the car was parked there can be a possibility that side mirrors got bumped by some other passing car. Your rearview mirror may have got knocked as you got out of the car. 

Your friend or colleague may have borrowed your car and the mirrors got changed to their needs. This can increase the risk where you are not able to safely maneuver as you ignored checking the mirrors. 

The correct way to set and use car mirrors

Rearview mirror

Adjust the seat before you adjust the rearview mirror. The rearview mirror has a toggle underneath that flicks upwards and downwards. During the day, frame it in such a way that you get a little reflection of the interior. At night, the rearview mirror can be flicked upwards or downwards to prevent distraction from bright headlights following. 

Side mirror

Remember, the spot where the road fades on the horizon must be positioned in the center of the mirror’s horizontal point. After you adjust this, tilt your head on both sides and simultaneously move the mirror sideways to a spot where you will see only the side of your vehicle. It is essential to see the road adjacent to your vehicle. 

Reversing

While reversing, some drivers point the left mirror down to avoid bumping against a gutter. Even remember to turn in your seat and look behind the rear window while reversing and not the mirrors.

Lane changing

Even if your side and rearview mirrors are correctly set up, you will need to take a peek over your shoulder prior to changing lanes. It is essential to ensure you are merging into the traffic safely and there are no small vehicles like bikes moving on the lane.

Safety experts suggest that drivers need to constantly scan vehicle mirrors every 5 seconds starting from the driver’s side mirror. To successfully park parallel into an awkward parking space all three mirrors are crucial for squeezing the car into position. When your car is hauling a trailer check your mirrors while making turns to ensure the wheels of the trailer don’t bump into the curb. 

Correct setup and use of rear and side-view mirrors can prevent risky blind spots and your car is kept out of approaching traffic pathway.