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Car Mirrors

About Car Mirrors

It is not enough to just see straight ahead when you are driving. As a responsible driver, your decision making should also consider other vehicles that are around you as well.  That’s what car mirrors are for. And to provide a 360-degree field of vision, there are more than one of them in every vehicle.

Mirrors are one of the safety features in any vehicle. Every country has rules that mandate the minimum requirement when it comes to vehicle mirrors. But as important as having good mirrors is to know how to use them properly. Being able to set up the mirrors in the proper way and to use them whenever you should make you a better driver. Apart from that, you can add additional mirrors to your cars to make your driving safer. But before you start shopping for mirrors, you should know what the different types of mirrors are and how are you supposed to use each of them. This article will tell you everything you need to know about car mirrors and will help you make a better purchase decision.

Different types of mirrors in a car

A driver should constantly watch what is going on the road. Not only should he be aware of what is ahead of him, but he should also analyse the vehicles next to him and behind him. But nobody has eyes in the back of their head. That’s why mirrors are important in vehicles. There are some mirrors in vehicles that are legally mandatory and those special-purpose mirrors that are optional. This article will tell you about the different types of mirrors that go on vehicles.

Side mirrors

This is the most important mirror in a car or any vehicle. These are also called door mirrors or wing mirrors. Without proper functioning side mirrors, your car will not get a safety certificate from the transports department. Why are they so important? The two side mirrors on either side of the car give you a picture of what is going around the car. When you are switching between the lanes or making a turn, you can check the side mirrors to see if it is safe to do or not. But side mirrors do have blind spots. They won’t show you when another vehicle gets too close to the side of your car.

Blindspot mirrors

Regardless of how important and useful the side mirrors are, they do have some limitations. Even if you adjust your side mirror glasses perfectly, there is going to be blind spots in your side mirror. And this is a major reason for side to side collisions. Blindspot mirrors can solve the issue of blind spots. At least to some extent. These mirrors are more curved than side-view mirrors and can show you more of the road. Simply adding a blind spot mirror will not solve anything. You have to place it in the right way too. Make sure that you can see the blind spots in the mirror by sitting on the driver’s seat.

Rearview mirrors

After the side view mirrors, this is the most used and important mirror in any vehicle. This mirror sits on top of the dashboard. Rearview mirrors are considerably flatter than side-view mirrors. You have to position it so that you can see the vehicles behind you through the rear window of your car. But why should you look at vehicles that are directly behind you? Well, a couple of reasons. First, you should look in the rear-view mirror before you hit the brakes to avoid collisions in case somebody is tailgating you. Second, you will know if the car behind you is trying to overtake you when you see in the mirror that it is moving sideways.

Towing mirrors

If you are pulling a camper behind your SUV, your normal side mirrors are not enough. That’s because the trailer will block much of your road visibility. Not only are towing mirrors a great help in this case, but they are also a legal requirement for towing. Towing mirrors works similar to the side mirrors but does the job much better. They extend outwards more and are larger. Their position and size help you eliminate the blind spot created by the camper you are towing. Towing mirrors come as temporary fixtures. You can choose one depending on the method of installation you like.

Tips on how to buy Car Mirror Replacement

Replacing a mirror is not cheap. So, you want to get the right kind of mirror for your car when you buy them. And to do that, there are a few things you should consider. Following these tips will help you find the right mirror.

  • Type of control – Any car mirror that you come across will have any one of the three control options. Electric mirrors are the most convenient of all as you can adjust them with dashboard controllers. The next best option is cable control mirrors. You can adjust these mirrors with a lever inside the car without rolling down the window. If it is a manual mirror, you will have to do it the old school way.
  • Power folding – Power folding mirrors will come in handy in certain situations. If you are in a tight space and fear scratching the mirrors, you can fold both the mirrors with a click of a button without moving from your seat or opening the window.
  • Extra bells and whistles – There are other useful features that you can have in the mirrors. For example, heated mirrors that do not fog up in cold weather, puddle lamps, that will let you see the ground when you unlock the door, built-in indicator lights, and so on.
  • Colour – When you are looking for an external car mirror replacement, you should look for colours that will suit the rest of the body. If your car is read, you can go for a matte black mirror or the same shade of red as your car. If you want to make it fancier, you can choose a bit more contrasting colours too.
  • Compatibility – This is probably the most important of all. Mirrors are mostly vehicle specific. So, you have to make sure that the one you are buying is fit for your car. If your car does not have the option for electric mirrors, you won’t be able to install one easily.

Finally, don’t forget that side mirrors have left or right orientation. You won’t be able to install a passenger-side mirror on the driver’s side and vice versa. And there is no harm in getting a mirror that is larger than your OEM mirror to get a fuller field of view. Also, don’t forget to check out other amazing products in the car supplies category. Amongst the brands that await you here on our retail search engine include Ehoom, Toyota, Honda, and Ampper.

Question & Answer

How to adjust car mirrors for maximum visibility?

Interestingly, the way most people set their mirrors is wrong. The mirrors should be adjusted so that it eliminates as much blind spot as they can and should give the driver the idea of what is going around the car. To set it this way, keep your face close to the driver’s side window and set the mirror on the same side so that you will see a tiny bit of your car’s body. Align your face with the centre console of your car and do the same to the mirror on the opposite side. When it comes to the rear-view mirror, you should be able to see the entire rear window without twisting your neck.

Are car mirrors concave or convex?

All the mirrors in a car are convex mirrors, period. But not all mirrors have a similar level of ‘convexnex’ or curve. Some mirrors are more curved than others. The rear-view mirror only has a slight curve. This is because they only have to provide a small field of vision. And in the case of the side-view mirrors, the driver’s side mirrors are slightly less convex than the passenger side wing mirror. Both of these have more curves than the rear-view mirror though. The more convex a mirror is, the more field of view it can provide. So, the most curved of all the mirrors that you can have on your car is a blind spot mirror, that can cover the view of the entire road behind you despite its small size.

How to clean car mirrors?

All of those who have a car, or at least most of them, do keep their car clean and shining. But not so much do they care about the mirrors. Only with a clear mirror will you be able to see all the tiny details on the road and the cars that are a little far behind you. With a few easy to get things, you can effortlessly clean your mirror and remove the dust and smudge in it. You only need a glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth. Cleaning the mirror surface in circles is better than wiping them vertically or sideways. And when you use the glass cleaner, spray them on the cloth rather than directly on the mirror.

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