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.

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