Will a broken rearview mirror affect driving in the rain?
2 Answers
A broken rearview mirror will affect driving in the rain. Impact on vehicle safety: A damaged rearview mirror can affect the safe operation of the vehicle, which is considered a defect in the vehicle's safety performance. Generally, traffic police departments will not impose penalties for this, but it may still impact safe driving. It is important to drive carefully. Prohibition on driving vehicles with incomplete safety facilities: According to Article 21 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, before driving a motor vehicle on the road, the driver must carefully inspect the safety and technical performance of the vehicle. It is prohibited to drive a motor vehicle with incomplete safety facilities or components that do not meet technical standards, as these pose safety hazards.
Having driven trucks for decades, a broken rearview mirror in rainy weather is a significant hazard. Rainwater blurs the mirror surface, making it nearly impossible to see vehicles behind you. Combined with the damage itself—such as cracks or inability to adjust—visibility becomes severely limited, making safe lane changes difficult. Rain already reduces visibility, and wet roads make driving tricky. A faulty rearview mirror in these conditions drastically increases the risk of rear-end collisions or crashes. I once experienced this during a heavy downpour when water stains on the mirror nearly caused me to hit a highway barrier. My advice: get it fixed immediately—don’t delay. Compensate by checking blind spots more often or wiping the mirror by rolling down the window, but these are temporary fixes. Safety comes first. Most rain-related accidents stem from poor visibility, and a functional rearview mirror is a critical factor.
