How to Adjust Car Mirrors?
4 Answers
Adjust the rearview mirror until you can see the front door handle, then adjust it so that the car body occupies one-quarter of the mirror surface and the horizon occupies half of the mirror surface. First, adjust to locate the right front door handle, then adjust it so that the car body occupies one-quarter of the mirror surface and the ground occupies half of the mirror surface.
When I first started driving, I also had trouble adjusting the mirrors properly. It took me a while to figure out the tricks. After settling comfortably into the driver's seat, first adjust the interior rearview mirror to see the entire rear window, with the vertical position ensuring your line of sight is at the center of the mirror. For the side mirrors, position the horizon at the top third of the mirror, with the car body occupying only a quarter of the mirror surface. Remember to press your head against the window when adjusting the left mirror and lean toward the center when adjusting the right mirror to cover more viewing angles. On rainy days, avoid letting the mirror edges show the door handles, as it can affect judgment. For cars with blind spot assist systems, just align the mirrors according to the points indicated in the manual.
After 20 years in auto repair, I've seen too many accidents caused by improperly adjusted mirrors. Simply put: adjust the seat first, then the mirrors. The interior rearview mirror must fully display the rear windshield—don't let it reflect the back seat. The side mirrors should be set at their highest resolution angle: ensure the rear wheels just appear at the mirror edges, with visibility covering adjacent lanes. Never adjust them to show your own car body filling the mirror—that eliminates all rearward visibility. Position anti-glare mirrors correctly at night to avoid dazzling reflections. Aftermarket wide-angle mirrors require recalibration—this is especially crucial.
For beginners, it's recommended to use a foolproof adjustment method: find a straight road and drive slowly, following a car moving at a constant speed. The inner rearview mirror should always clearly show the position of the other car's headlights. Adjust the side mirrors so that when the car disappears from the center rearview mirror, it immediately appears at the inner corner of the side mirror. Practicing mirror adjustment in a parking lot is even better. The left mirror should just barely not show your own car's rear, while the right mirror should show about ten centimeters of the car's rear. This setup provides the safest angles for lane changes and reversing. After driving for half a year, fine-tune the mirrors again, as driving habits may change.