How Far Can You See a Car in the Rearview Mirror?
2 Answers
If a car appears on the right side of the rearview mirror, it indicates there is still some distance. However, if the car behind appears on the left side of the left rearview mirror and the vehicle is completely within the mirror, the distance between the car behind and your own car may be only about 5 meters. The right rearview mirror can still be divided into left and right parts, but unlike the left rearview mirror, it follows the principle of "left far, right near." When the body of the car on the right has moved beyond the right side of the rearview mirror, the distance at this time may be around 5 meters. Generally, if the car behind occupies half of the rearview mirror, the distance between it and the car in front may also be about 5 meters. Relevant information: Cars have both left and right rearview mirrors, and the judgment methods for the two sides are different because the driver's position is on the left side of the car. During driving, the principle is "left near, right far."
I've been driving for over ten years and mainly judge the distance by observing the size ratio of the following car in the rearview mirror. For example, when the following car appears very small in the mirror, only about the size of a single headlight, the distance is roughly over 100 meters. If the car's outline is clearly visible and occupies about half of the mirror, then it might be just 20 meters away. This kind of experience requires practice, and adjustments are needed when driving at higher speeds on city roads: on highways, the farther the distance, the safer it is—always maintain at least a two-second reaction time gap. Beginners are advised to practice at low speeds first and pay attention to adjusting the mirror angle to avoid blind spots. Rearview mirrors come in two types: flat and convex. Convex mirrors offer a wider field of view but slightly distort distances, so don’t rely on them entirely—always combine observations with the car’s movement to confirm. Safety comes first—don’t wait for danger to strike before regretting it.
