Interior Mirror and Door Mirrors

Whenever you check your mirrors we recommend that you should check them in pairs. So if you wanted to turn left, change to a left lane, pull up on the left for example you should check the interior mirror to see the speed and position of the vehicles behind you and then you should check the left door mirror to see if there are any cyclists. When you wish to turn right, change to a right lane or pull up on the right then you should check the interior mirror for the same reason as earlier and then the right mirror to see if there is anything overtaking you especially looking out motorbikes.

The interior mirror unlike the door mirrors is made from a flat glass (similar to the mirrors you have at home) which is designed to give you a true reflection of what’s going on behind you. Door mirrors are made of convex glass (which is like the back of a spoon) which is designed to give you a wider field of vision but the problem here is everything in the door mirrors looks smaller and further away than what it really is. So whenever you do check your mirrors its usually best to start with the interior mirror first as this will give you a true reflection of the size and distance of the vehicle behind you.

It’s always a good idea to check the interior mirror as soon as you see a hazard as you may need to reduce speed by braking and you would want to see what’s behind you first so you know how much you can brake in order not to affect the vehicle behind you.

When you are driving and the speed limit rises and it’s nice and safe to increase speed then you should check the right mirror here as you would need to check to see if there is something overtaking you first. If you notice a vehicle trying to overtake you then reduce speed so they can pass easily and then check your right mirror again. If it’s clear now you can start to increase your speed to a safe speed.

When you check your mirrors, don’t just look at them for the sake of looking at them but you should always try to check for movement. Looking out for motorbikes, cyclists, vehicles and larger vehicles should always be a priority and you should always check your mirrors frequently.