Should the Rearview Mirror See the Tires?
3 Answers
Rearview mirrors do not need to see the tires. The right rearview mirror should be adjusted outward to ensure visibility of the car body and more space on the right rear side. Many cars have a blind spot about 1 meter outside the right rear door, and using a blue mirror can expand the field of vision. Rearview mirrors are tools that allow drivers 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, to prevent traffic safety accidents, and to ensure personal safety, all countries require that cars must be equipped with rearview mirrors, and all rearview mirrors must be adjustable in direction. Tires are circular elastic rubber products assembled on various vehicles or machinery for rolling on the ground.
When setting the rearview mirror while driving, it's usually unnecessary to see the tires. As a long-time driver, I understand that many people believe the rearview mirror should display the tire position to judge distance. In reality, such a setup can actually increase blind spots and raise the risk of accidents during lane changes or reversing. The standard adjustment method is: after sitting firmly in the driver's seat and maintaining a natural posture, slowly move the rearview mirror until the side of the car body or the tires just disappear from the edge of your field of view. This way, the mirror can cover a wider area of the road behind you, allowing you to see approaching vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles, rather than just focusing on your own tires. For example, when changing lanes on the highway, if the car body or tires appear in the rearview mirror, you may easily overlook other vehicles in the blind spot area, leading to scrapes or more serious accidents. Modern vehicles are also equipped with blind spot monitoring systems, and correctly setting the rearview mirror can better complement these functions, enhancing overall driving safety. In summary, the rearview mirror setting that doesn't show the tires is the conventional practice. It allows you to observe the full view behind the car more confidently and reduces potential dangers. However, if you feel the field of view is insufficient during narrow parking or reversing, you can briefly adjust the mirror manually to assist in checking the tire position.
My driving experience tells me that the rearview mirror should not show the tire portion. I remember when I first started driving, I always adjusted the mirrors to see the rear tires, thinking it would make reversing more precise. Unexpectedly, this caused me to overlook critical blind spots when changing lanes, nearly leading to minor accidents several times. Later, I learned the correct method: adjust the mirrors until the car body completely disappears, leaving only the road behind. This setting provides a wide field of view, especially in congested urban areas, allowing clear visibility of approaching electric bikes or motorcycles from behind, thus avoiding sudden lane-change risks. Now, before every drive, I quickly check if the mirror positions are proper—settle into the seat, adjust the rearview mirror until the car body lines disappear, ensuring maximum visibility. Even when occasionally needing to reverse park, I rely more on parking sensors or camera assistance rather than constantly readjusting mirrors to see tires. Over time, this practice has saved me time and effort while enhancing safety, as the focus of driving lies in monitoring dynamic changes behind rather than the position of my own wheels. Developing good adjustment habits is crucial—it reduces potential hassles in daily driving.
