How to Judge the Distance of the Rear Car Through the Rearview Mirror?
4 Answers
Methods for judging the distance of the rear car through the rearview mirror: The rearview mirror can be divided into four parts, with the outer quarter being the danger zone and the inner three-quarters being the safety zone. It is important to note that due to differences in height, rearview mirror angles, and the size of the rear vehicle, the reflection in the rearview mirror may vary, so the mnemonic may not apply to everyone. The best method is to conduct tests in daily life to obtain the most accurate way to judge the distance. The rearview mirror is a tool that allows the driver to directly obtain external information about the rear, side, and lower parts of the car while seated in the driver's seat. For the convenience of the driver and to prevent traffic safety accidents and ensure personal safety, all countries require that cars must be equipped with rearview mirrors, and all rearview mirrors must be adjustable in direction.
As a friend who's always on the road, I find judging the distance of following cars through rearview mirrors quite simple. While driving, I'm accustomed to using the size of the following car in the mirror to estimate: when the car appears as small as a matchbox, it's far away; when it fills the center of the mirror, it's dangerously close! To be more specific, when the front of the following car disappears at the lower edge of the mirror frame, it's roughly within 30 meters; if only the roof and front of the car remain visible in the mirror, then it's over 40 meters away. Don't forget to factor in speed—on highways, a quickly enlarging car is a rear-end collision warning. Here's a little tip: regularly adjust your rearview mirror to cover the entire rear windshield without tilting; use side mirrors as assistance, but always turn your head to check blind spots. During rainy days or at night, the position of the following car's lights becomes even more critical—when the lights appear high and bright, the distance is short, so slow down in advance to prevent collisions. Develop the habit of glancing every 5 seconds for safer and more secure driving.
In daily driving, the core of my assessment of the distance to the following vehicle through the rearview mirror is visual reference. Observe the area occupied by the following vehicle in the mirror: if it occupies less than half, the distance is typically greater than 50 meters; when it fills two-thirds, the distance drops to within 20 meters. Note that different types of vehicles can affect this: large trucks appear closer in the rearview mirror than they actually are, so be cautious of misjudgment. I would recommend first adjusting the rearview mirror angle to cover the upper limit of the rear view; while driving, observe the movement trend of the following vehicle, and change lanes or accelerate when it approaches quickly. Related techniques include checking blind spots before turning or using the mirror to maintain a safe distance in traffic jams. Developing this habit allows for flexible handling of both urban and highway driving conditions.
I started learning as a beginner, and judging distance with the rearview mirror isn't too difficult. The key is observing the position of the following car in the mirror: when the car's front is below the center of the mirror frame, it's close, about 20 meters; for distant cars, the roof is clearly visible. Simply put, if the following car looks small, it's safe; if it looks big, it's close. Remember to combine this with driving conditions—be alert when a following car rapidly grows larger at high speeds, and pay extra attention in urban areas to prevent rear-end collisions. I'll add a suggestion: keep the rearview mirror clean and unobstructed, and get used to manually adjusting the angle for optimal visibility.
