How to adjust car mirrors in three steps

The positioning of car mirrors is one of the basic things before even starting to drive a car. It might look petty and it’s neglected quite often. However, it should be noted that adjusting and setting up the car's mirrors correctly can go a long way in not only providing the best view of the traffic behind, but in prevention of any accidents as well.

Any vehicle has three mirrors - IRVM (Inside rear view mirror) and left and right ORVMs (Outside rear view mirrors). These might be manually adjustable or electrically powered ones. But the basic procedure of setting these up remains the same. We show you a shortcut to get the correct line of sight by covering major areas and eliminate the blind spots. Get into the driver's seat, fix your driving position and then follow these simple steps.

Step 1

Without leaving the driver's seat, lean on to the left as far as you can. Now adjust the left ORVM so that the road behind is visible in at least two-thirds of the mirror. Get back into normal driving position to realise the edges of the car are slightly visible and full view of the road is seen in the mirror.

Step 2

Similarly, lean on to your right so that your head almost touches the window. The right ORVM can now also be adjusted such that the road is seen in at least two-thirds of the mirror.

Step 3

Now, once you are back into the normal driving position, adjust this mirror so that the widest possible view of the rear windscreen is available. This IRVM will show you what was missing in the side mirrors and you are all set to go!

Dos and don’ts

Dos

- Adjust your driving seat/position first

- Align the mirror's centre with the horizon

- Make sure field of vision for blind spots is clear

Don'ts

- Don't adjust mirrors while driving

- Don't set mirrors too wide or too narrow

- Avoid touching the glass and obscure the view with fingerprints

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi

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