How to judge the distance between vehicles by looking at the interior rearview mirror?
3 Answers
The method to judge the distance between vehicles by looking at the interior rearview mirror is: 1. When the engine hood of the rear vehicle is visible in the interior rearview mirror but the grille is not, it indicates a distance of about 3 meters from the rear vehicle; 2. When the grille of the rear vehicle is visible in the interior rearview mirror, it indicates a distance of about 8 meters from the rear vehicle; 3. When the wheels of the rear vehicle are completely visible in the interior rearview mirror, it indicates a distance of more than 20 meters from the rear vehicle. The adjustment essentials of the interior rearview mirror are: place the distant horizontal line in the center line of the interior rearview mirror, then move left and right to position the image of the right ear just at the left edge of the mirror. The function of the car's interior rearview mirror is: to reflect the situation behind, beside, and below the car, expanding the driver's field of vision.
Using the interior rearview mirror to judge the distance of the car behind, I've figured out some simple methods through years of driving. Mainly, observe the size of the following car in the mirror: the smaller the car appears, the farther away it is; the larger it appears, the closer it is, with the distance roughly varying within tens of meters. For example, if you can only see a tiny dot, it's probably 40 to 50 meters away; if the car occupies nearly half of the mirror, it might be just 10 to 20 meters away, requiring extra caution. However, don't rely on it too much—the interior rearview mirror has blind spots, especially with small cars or on curves, making misjudgment easy. I once experienced a near rear-end collision on a rainy, foggy day when the mirror was blurry, and the distance was unclear. It's advisable to adjust the mirror height before each drive to ensure the entire rear window is visible—don’t skip this step. Combining it with side mirrors is safer. Develop a habit of glancing at the mirrors every few seconds to significantly reduce accident risks, especially on highways with heavy traffic. Spotting approaching cars early allows you to prepare in advance.
As a driver who frequently takes the whole family out, I always remind myself that safety comes first. When teaching my child to judge the distance through the interior rearview mirror, I explain it this way: when the car behind is far away, it looks like a small toy in the mirror; when it's close, it appears like a real car right in front of you. Roughly speaking, beyond 30 meters, it's a blurry small dot, while within 15 meters, you can see the details clearly. However, the mirror's field of view is limited, and with large vehicles or at oblique angles, the perspective difference can be significant, leading to errors. When driving in the city, I often use this method to estimate distance for lane changes, but I always combine it with turning my head to check blind spots, ensuring no small cars are hiding on the side. On rainy or snowy days, when the mirror reflects glare, I turn on the heating function to defog it, preventing unclear visibility of distance. Once in a tunnel, the car in the mirror seemed safe, but it actually accelerated and rushed up. Luckily, I habitually glanced back. Overall, it's not a precision instrument, but with practice, it becomes intuitive. The key is to observe more to ensure a safe driving environment.
