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Adjusting Car Mirrors

Many people have a misconception that modern car door mirrors do not adjust themselves. But you need to adjust all the three of your rear view mirrors so that you get the widest view possible while keeping your blind spots to a minimum. This is particularly important on multi-lane highways where you may have to keep tabs on lanes on both sides. Many drivers do not turn their outside mirrors out far enough and simply duplicate the same scene in all three mirrors. Rule of thumb: If you can see even a glimpse of the sides of your car in your outside mirrors they are turned too far inwards.

After entering your car, before you drive away, the very next thing on your agenda should be adjusting your seat and steering wheel, fastening your safety belt and adjusting all three of your rearview mirrors.

Get comfortable - Adjust your seat so that you are high enough to see the road, yet can still reach all of the car's controls. If you don't have adjustable seats and are still sitting too low, you should use a seat cushion, or better yet, have your mechanic raise your seat permanently.
Interior rearview mirror - The positioning for the inside rearview mirror is fairly obvious; you should be able to see out of the rear window from the driver's seat.
Auto-dimming rearview mirrors - If your car comes with automatic dimming mirrors, darken to reduce glare from the headlamps of vehicles approaching from the rear. The brighter the glare, the darker the mirrors become, making nighttime driving safer.
Exterior rearview mirrors - As for the side view mirrors, most people adjust them so they can see the side of the car on the inside edge of the mirror. Your side view mirrors overlap much of what your inside rearview mirrors sees and you've also created blind spots. What in the solution to blind spots? Simply adjust the side view mirrors just beyond the point where you could see the side of the car on the inside edge of the mirror. With this setup, you almost completely solve the blind spot problem.

Backing up - Most of us don't think twice about backing our cars out of a parking spot or driveway. A quick walk around your car before getting in and backing up is an easy way to help prevent a catastrophe. Even after a walk-around, double check all three of your mirrors before you put your car in reverses. Take great care in parking lots, residential neighborhoods and especially near schools and playgrounds.

Using your mirrors on the road - Most drivers rely on their rear view mirrors for two things, backing up, and changing lanes on the highway. Not checking your blind spots - those areas just outside the field of vision - can have disastrous effects when merging onto the highway or changing lanes. One of the ways you can protect yourself is to make sure your vehicle's side and rearview mirrors are positioned for maximum road view. If all three of your mirrors are aligned correctly you should be able to see a vehicle leaving your rearview mirror seamlessly transfer to one of your side view mirrors without any delay. Diligent use of all three of your rearview mirrors should prevent you from getting in another driver's way or cutting them off. A good guideline for deciding when to move into the passing lane or back into the traveling lane is to make sure that you can see the headlights of the vehicle you're passing in the rearview mirror.

Some quick tips: For the driver's side mirror: Place the side of your head against the window, then adjust the mirror until the side of your vehicle comes into view. For the passenger's side mirror: While sitting in the driver's seat, lean to the right so that your head is in the car's centre-line. Adjust the mirror until the side of your car comes into view.