Does the width of a car include the rearview mirrors?
2 Answers
No. The vehicle width is defined as: the distance between the two extreme points in the width direction of the car, that is, the distance between the left and right most protruding positions of the body. According to industry-standard rules, the vehicle width does not include the width extended by the left and right rearview mirrors, meaning the most protruding positions should be selected after the mirrors are folded. More related details are as follows: 1. The distance between the two extreme points in the width direction of the car: that is, the distance between the left and right most protruding positions of the body. According to industry-standard rules, the vehicle width does not include the width extended by the left and right rearview mirrors, meaning the most protruding positions should be selected after the mirrors are folded. In national standards, the significance of vehicle width data lies in providing sufficient space during overtaking, preventing accidents due to excessive width or situations where road markings are narrower than the car's width. Additionally, national regulations stipulate that the total width of a vehicle must not exceed 2.5m to meet the usage requirements of public roads. 2. When calculating the width of a car: it is based on the planar distance between the protruding parts on both sides of the vehicle, excluding mudguards, turn signals, deformations caused by tire-ground contact, as well as detachable or movable components.
Having driven for decades, I always take extra care with side mirrors when navigating tight garages or street parking. Their width usually isn't included in official specifications since they're designed to fold and minimize footprint. When I lived downtown in my younger years, I once nearly scraped a luxury car while reversing because I forgot the mirrors were extended - it gave me quite a scare. Now I've developed the habit of manually folding mirrors before parking, or measuring actual dimensions with some margin when choosing a car. It's a clever design that prevents specification clutter, but never skip measuring mirror positions during actual use to avoid embarrassing collisions. In older neighborhoods with narrow roads, those extra centimeters from extended mirrors could scrape walls. Remember - width calculations should consider the fixed body, with movable components requiring additional consideration.
