For you to have a good vision of everything from your car, you have to make sure that all the mirrors of his/her car are well adjusted so that all the vision is clear. Mirrors let you look at everything without turning or moving your head. This is because taking your eyes away from the road may lead to accidents. Sometimes these accidents can be deadly and devastating. Hence, as a good driver, you must know how to adjust all the mirrors of your car to have a safe car ride. Experts have mentioned numerous times that the rear and side-view mirrors are the features of cars that help us have the maximum amount of security.
Without these mirrors, we would not be able to see most parts of the road, which will only lead to unwanted collisions. Additionally, our chances of a crash will also skyrocket in the absence of these mirrors. These days, many people think that adjusting mirrors in super modern cars are not needed as the adjustment is made automatically. If you trust us, you have to believe that this is undoubtedly not the case, and all these claims are false. Therefore, we have some tips to help you have all the knowledge when it comes to adjusting your mirrors. We have also mentioned how you can use these mirrors in every way to protect you and your car from all sorts of accidents.
Let us discuss all of our tips that will undoubtedly help you with the mirror adjustment –
Adjusting the mirrors of your cars
Learn how you can adjust your car’s mirrors without anyone’s help by looking at all the steps mentioned below. Read everything with full concentration and return to the information if you cannot remember it.
1. Sit comfortably.
As soon as you open your car, make sure you are sitting in the right position. You should also adjust the closeness of the seat with the wheels and controls to ensure you reach everything without any difficulty. As a rule of thumb, you must easily reach the gear shifter, accelerator, brake pedal, and clutch without moving your upper body.
2. Start adjusting the rear-view mirror.
Now, without moving your body or head, use the hand that is close to reaching the mirror. Here, your goal must be to adjust this mirror in such a way that you view the entire back windshield in the mirror. Again, do not move your body, or else you will have a different view once you return. Adjusting this mirror will help you have a quick glance at whoever is driving behind you.
3. Lookup for the buttons that adjust mirrors
In modern cars, the side mirrors can be easily adjusted with the help of specific buttons given in a panel inside your car. It would be best if you located these buttons before starting the car, especially when it is someone else’s car that you are driving. Other than buttons, the vehicle may also have levers just behind the mirror that you can move from inside the car.
4. Start adjusting the mirror on the driver seat’s side.
Before adjusting the opposite mirror, we would suggest you fix the one that is close to you, i.e., the driver’s mirror. Some car models may require manual adjustment too. Use whatever is needed to adjust this mirror. With this mirror, you must have a view of 15% of your car’s side and 85% of the road. If you do this, you will be able to view your car as well as most part of the way.
5. Adjust the mirror on the passenger’s side
If you are alone in the car and this mirror requires manual adjustment, you will have to shift between the seats until the adjusting is done. Use the same ratio of views, as mentioned in step 4, for this mirror as well. If there are levers of buttons in your car, this mirror’s adjustment will be more comfortable. The passenger side’s mirror is essential, so make sure you adjust it no matter what.
6. Take a final look
Once you are done adjusting all the three mirrors of your car, try taking a look at all three one by one. Remember not to move your upper body or head in the process. You have to use and turn your eyes to take a look. Also, try taking a segmented look from top to bottom and side to side in each mirror to enhance safety levels when you are on the road.
If you have read all of these steps and are still having problems, we would suggest watching a video that explains it all. You can also take the help of someone from your family and friends who knows how to do all of this correctly. Never ignore the importance of adjusting mirrors because it will be too late for you to regret not understanding it.
Using the side and rear-view mirrors
Let us now learn the different uses of mirrors on the car to maximize the times of their usage while you are driving or stopping your vehicle.
- Use them while parallel parking: Parallel parking is one of the most challenging ways of parking a four-wheeler vehicle. For parallel parking to be perfect, you will need the help of all the three mirrors; otherwise, it would be merely impossible to achieve. Additionally, this tricky parking will still need lots of practice and patience from you. Learn in well in practice area before you head on the roads of your city or town.
- Use them while generally driving your car: As a safety rule, you must look at all three mirrors of your car quickly in every 10 seconds. In areas full of traffic, you must look at these mirrors every five seconds and sometimes even quicker than that. Many experts suggest that having a constant time to time look at the mirrors reduces the chances of accidents by many folds.
- Use them while you change lanes: Changing road lanes without looking on car mirrors is a dangerous thing to do. Have a constant look at the mirror that is on the side that you want to switch. You must also use the car blinkers or indicators on the side of this lane you want to go to. You should also look at the rearview mirror when you are doing this shifting on the road lanes.
- Use them while you stop your car: Many people often hit the curb when they park their cars on the roadside. This situation can be easily and effectively avoided if you use the side mirrors of your vehicle. As mentioned earlier, adjusting side mirrors well will also give you a view of the side of your car. Use this view to pull your car in a better way without making any damages or scratches to its frame while you are on it.
- Use them while you reverse your car: Reversing the car would be a complicated process if the vehicle did not have mirrors. While reversing the car, you can have an almost full view with the help of the rearview mirror. This is very important while you are taking your car out of the garage or just making your car reverse if you have made a wrong turn in your way.
Apart from the uses mentioned above, car mirrors are also used in general parking. They must also be used while you take a U-turn or turn your car completely. Also, take special care using these mirrors when you are stuck in massive traffic at the signal to come out without any scratches on your car.
Conclusion
Till now, you must have understood the importance and use of these mirrors very well. We hope that we have explained the adjusting process vividly here. One more tip from us would be not to move the rear view mirror while you are on the passenger seat. People generally do this to have a look at their face or adjust their hair. This will create problems for the driver, especially when the car is moving.
Also, as a driver, you should never lose focus from the road. Try driving safely and do not go beyond speed limits to be even safer in the streets.