Section 4 Defensive Driving and Safety
Chapter 16
Proper use of Mirrors
Your side and rear-view mirrors are amongst the most important safety features of your vehicle. Their purpose is to let you know what is happening behind, which is just as important as knowing what is happening in front. Remember the 360 mindset! You must use your vehicle mirrors frequently, and respond safely to what you see in them.
Before you hit the road you must adjust your side and rear view mirrors so that you have clear visibility in each of them. Here’s how:
- Sit in the driver’s seat. Position the seat and steering wheel so that you are comfortable and have access to the gear shifter, brake pedal, and accelerator.
- Gently maneuver the rear view mirror so that you can see directly out of the middle of your back windshield without moving your head. The goal is to be able to quickly glance from the road in front of you to the road behind you without having to move or turn your body.
- Locate the levers or buttons that adjust the side mirrors. Many newer model vehicles have a small lever or joystick on the driver’s side door that electronically adjusts the side mirrors. Older models often require you to manually adjust them using a lever or by pressing on the mirror itself.
- Adjust the driver’s side mirror first. Make adjustments then sit back in the driver’s seat to ensure that you can see the road behind you and a small sliver of the side of your car. The horizon should appear about in the middle of the mirror.
- Next, adjust the passenger side mirror. If you have to adjust it manually, you may need to move between the passenger and driver’s seats until it is properly adjusted.
- After all mirrors have been adjusted, sit in the driver’s seat and look in each, starting with the driver’s side mirror. You should view everything behind you in segments as you glance along.
How to Use Your Mirrors Properly
When using your mirrors you should be asking yourself what’s behind you, how near they are to you, what speed they are traveling at and what their intentions are. You must have enough time to decide, which makes early use of the mirrors essential.
Which mirrors you use will depend on the situation and maneuver you intend to carry out. Normally, you should use the interior mirror first followed by the exterior mirrors.
- CHANGING LANES: first check your rearview mirror to see if any cars are following you. As you begin to signal your intention to turn, check the side mirror on the side you plan to merge to. For example, if you plan to merge from the left lane to the right lane, check your right side mirror for traffic approaching in that lane. Continue to glance between your rearview and side mirrors as you complete the merge.
- OVERTAKING: Check your mirrors paying special attention to the offside mirror to make sure no one is about to overtake you.
- TURNING: Check the interior mirror and the nearside mirror when turning left and the offside mirror when turning right. Checking your mirrors is a must when making turns in a stretch limousine. Watch the mirror to the inside of the turn to ensure that the wheels do not hit the curb.
- SLOWING DOWN/STOPPING: A vehicle following too closely may fail to stop in time when you brake. Check your mirrors in good time so you can lose speed more gently if necessary.
- LEAVING VEHICLE: Check mirrors and blind spots before opening the car door in case a vehicle is passing.
- GENERAL DRIVING: Safety experts recommend that you keep a constant scan of all your vehicle’s mirrors while driving. Take a quick glance at one mirror every five seconds starting with the driver’s side mirror.
Proper adjustment and usage of the vehicle's side and rear view mirrors will prevent dangerous blind spots and keep your vehicle out of the path of approaching traffic.
BLIND SPOT: This is an area around your car that cannot be seen in your mirrors. The most dangerous of these are the blind spots behind your left and right shoulders, the area obscured by the bodywork of the car when you look in your side mirrors. To counter these blind spots you should look over your right and left shoulders to observe the view through the side windows. Sometimes you will need to check a blind spot while on the move such as when changing lanes on a multi lane highway. To do this, glance quickly to the left or right. There is no need to turn and look right behind, as this is dangerous.