Your Mirrors and Visibility

06 Mar Your Mirrors and Visibility

You might be surprised to know that a lot of people actually don't understand how to properly adjust the mirrors on their car. Most of the time, they them pulled so far in that they have large blind spots at the side and rear of the vehicle. Between adjusting mirrors correctly and having blind spot mirrors added to them, you can vastly increase your visibility behind you.

How to Adjust Your Mirrors

To adjust your mirrors, start with your driver's side. Lean your head over to the left so that you have your head partially out the window. Adjust your mirror outward until the side of your car disappears. Stop pushing the mirror outward when your car disappears from the mirror. Adjust the up-and-down axis until it's comfortable for you. This allows you to see quite a bit of what would normally be a blind spot to the left of your car.

To adjust your passenger-side mirror, lean over as far as you can and adjust the mirror in the same fashion. You'll want to stop pushing the mirror outward at the point where the side of the car disappears from your view. This gives you a good view of the lane next to you on the passenger side.

Blind spot mirrors can be affixed to your regular side mirrors to increase your vision even more. These do an excellent job of allowing you to see anything in the lane next to you and, while they're not quite as complex, expensive or well mounted as trucker mirrors, they work on the same concepts. Affix these according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Your rearview mirror is very easy to adjust: simply adjust it until you have a good view through your back window or over the top of your truck bed. Now that you have your mirrors adjusted, never believe them.

Your mirrors are there to confirm what you see when you turn your head to check your blind spots. They're also helpful to give you more visual information at night when you see headlights in them. When you change lanes, however, you should never rely on your mirrors alone to guide you as to when the other lane is open and safe. You still have to turn your head quickly and check your blind spot.

If somebody injures you, contact a Dallas car accident attorney to learn about your options.