Have you ever thought about how you can see what’s behind and next to you as you drive? The answer lies in two well-thought-out pieces of equipment: the side mirrors and the rearview mirror. These unsung stars are very important for safe driving because they tell you important things about your surroundings and keep accidents from happening.
The Mighty Side Mirrors: Importance and Types
Side mirrors, which are also called wing mirrors, are on the driver’s and passenger doors. They make your view wider than the width of the car. It’s clear how important they are:
- Getting rid of blind spots: These are dangerous places that you can’t see from the driver’s seat. Side mirrors do a good job of covering these blind spots, so you can see cars coming up behind you and avoid accidents.
- Before moving into a different lane, make sure there is a clear way by quickly checking your side mirror. This will also lower the chance of cutting off another driver.
- For reversing and parking, side mirrors are very helpful because they show you how far away things or other cars are and help you avoid hitting them.
What Makes Side Mirrors Work?
A carefully made convex mirror is what makes side mirrors work. A flat mirror shows a true image of the same size. A convex mirror, on the other hand, has a curved surface that sticks out. This curve makes the view bigger, showing more of the area behind and next to the car. But things that are mirrored in a convex mirror look smaller, which is why it takes practice to figure out how far away something is.
Types of Mirrors Used in Side Mirrors
Side mirrors usually have two kinds of mirrors:
- Flat Mirrors: These mirrors give a good picture of distance, but they only show a small area. They are often used for the side mirror on the driver’s side.
- Curved or convex mirrors: These mirrors make the view bigger, which makes them perfect for the passenger side mirror. But they might slightly change the lengths.
How to Adjust Side Mirrors
For side mirrors to work at their best, they must be properly set. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Driver’s Side Mirror
To change the driver’s side mirror, do the following:
- Place yourself in the driver’s seat and move the mirror so that you can’t see the side of your car.
- Lean a little to the left and move the mirror farther outward until you can see the lane next to you.
- If everything is set up right, you shouldn’t be able to see any of your car in the mirror.
Always keep in mind that you need to be able to see the next lane when you change the driver’s side mirror.
Passenger’s Side Mirror
For the side mirror on the passenger side:
- Place yourself in the driver’s seat and move the mirror so that you can’t see the side of your car.
- Lean a little to the right and move the mirror farther outward until you can see the lane next to you.
- Once more, make sure that the mirror doesn’t show any part of your car.
Rear View Mirror: Your Back Window Extension
On top of the windscreen is the rearview mirror, which gives you a clear view of what’s behind your car. This mirror usually has a flat or slightly curved mirror that shows the size and distance of cars behind you more accurately.
Replacing a Side Mirror: A DIY Project or Professional Help?
Some people can replace a broken side mirror on their own, but it’s important to think about how complicated the mirror system is. Many modern cars have turn signals, blind-spot tracking systems, and even cameras built into the housing of the side mirrors. To replace these mirrors, you might need special tools and technical know-how. If you just need to fix the side mirrors, a Haynes repair guidebook for your car can help you.
The Future of Side Mirrors: Cameras Take the Wheel
New ideas are changing the way side mirrors work. In some high-end car types, camera systems are now used instead of mirrors. A digital picture is shown on a screen inside the driver’s cabin by tiny cameras mounted on the car’s fenders or body.
There are several good things about these camera systems:
- Wider Field of View: Cameras can record a much wider range of vision than regular mirrors, which makes blind spots even smaller.
- Better Night Vision: Cameras work better in low light than regular mirrors, giving you a clearer view at night.
- Customisation: Digital displays can be changed to suit individual needs. For example, they can be zoomed in on certain places or shown parking rules.
Even though camera systems open up a lot of interesting options, most cars still have standard side mirrors.
Additional Features Integrated into Side Mirrors
These days, side mirrors are more than just flat surfaces that reflect light. Often, they have extra functions that make them safer and more useful:
- Indicators for turning: LED lights built into the mirror housing flash to let other cars know when you want to change lanes.
- Blind Spot Monitoring Systems: Radar or camera sensors can find cars in your blind spot and let you know by flashing a light or making a noise.
- Heated Side Mirrors: These melt the frost and ice off the mirror surface in the winter, making it easier to see when it’s cold and snowy outside.
- Memory Settings: Some high-end cars have memory settings for the side mirrors, which let you save and load the settings that work best for each driver.Indicators for turning: LED lights built into the mirror housing flash to let other cars know when you want to change lanes.
- Blind Spot Monitoring Systems: Radar or camera sensors can find cars in your blind spot and let you know by flashing a light or making a noise.
- Heated Side Mirrors: These melt the frost and ice off the mirror surface in the winter, making it easier to see when it’s cold and snowy outside.
- Memory Settings: Some high-end cars have memory settings for the side mirrors, which let you save and load the settings that work best for each driver.
Having side mirrors and a rearview mirror is more than just adding style to your car; it’s also important for safety and gives you the confidence to drive. You can turn these simple mirrors into your safety friends by learning about their science, adjusting them correctly, and using their modern features. When you fix your mirrors next time, remember how important they are for keeping you and everyone else on the road safe.
Here are some more tips on how to make good use of your side mirrors:
- Scan Often: Don’t just look in your rearview mirror. You should look in your side mirrors a lot, especially when you change lines, merge into traffic, or turn.
- Clean them up: A side mirror that is dirty or smudged can make it very hard to see. To keep your windows as clear as possible, clean them regularly with a microfiber cloth and the right cleaning solution.
- Changes for the night: At night, headlights coming from behind can make your side mirrors look foggy. Some mirrors can be dimmed to cut down on this glare. You can physically move the angle a little downwards to reduce the glare if yours doesn’t.
Side Mirrors as Advertising Space
Side mirrors are mostly used for safety, but some car companies have thought about using them for ads. Tiny LED displays built into the mirror housing can show brand names or information that is important to the driver, like lane departure or blind-spot alerts. Still, people aren’t sure if these kinds of advertising displays are legal or useful.
