How to use car mirrors when driving

An expert’s guide to making the most of your car mirrors.

Checking your car mirrors regularly is one of simplest ways to stay safe on the road. Driving instructor and president of the Australian Driver Trainers Association, Julie Emerson says that most drivers only look at their mirrors when they are preparing to change lanes. “Realistically, we should be checking our interior mirror every five to eight seconds,” she says. “People often get a surprise when they change lanes and see a car there – which shows me that they are not checking their mirrors regularly enough. We shouldn’t get a surprise.”

Ready to take a long, hard look at yourself and your driving skills? Here’s Emerson’s expert guide to using your mirrors.

You should check that your mirrors are adjusted correctly every time you get in your vehicle, Emerson says. “Our driving posture at the end of the day is quite different to our posture when we’re fresh in the morning. There can be a difference of about 10 degrees. Also, someone else might have driven our car, and adjusted our mirrors.”

Your interior, or rear-view, mirror, should be focused on the road behind, and allow you to see the whole of the back window, or as much of it as possible.

Your wing mirrors should allow you to just see the back corner of the vehicle, and, most importantly, the lane next to you. Learner drivers often make the mistake of angling the passenger exterior mirror to see the kerb. You need to be able to see the lane.

We need to build up a video of the traffic around us, rather than a snapshot.

“Quickly checking our mirror just once will only allow us to see the car behind us; it won’t give us any idea about how fast or sensibly they’re driving,” Emerson says.

It’s important to check your wing mirror before making a decision on lane changing, then keep glancing in this mirror until there is a clear gap into which you can change lanes.

“Indicate, take a final check in the internal mirror to make sure no one has suddenly changed into this lane, then make head check over the relevant shoulder – because every car has a blind spot,” Emerson says. “If it's clear, move.”

Some online advice suggests we can use the lower edge of a wing mirror to tell us where the kerb is.

Emerson cautions against relying solely on this. “If you are a tall or short person, or driving a Mini Minor versus a RAM ute, those very simple measurements don’t really work,” she says.

“Using your mirrors and looking beyond the mirror will allow a perception of where the kerb is. It’s practice, practice and practice to get the correct distance from the kerb.”

Learners can benefit from parking, noticing what this looks like in their mirrors, then getting out and having a physical look as to where they are. Remembering what a good park looks like in their mirrors can help them repeat it.

Mirrors are vital for good, safe reverse parking.

Check your interior mirror before stopping, so you know what’s behind you, and what impact your decision might have on traffic. Then check again as you pull up next to the parked car, so you know the traffic behind you has stopped.

“Our driver side exterior mirror check will ensure no one is overtaking us as we park, as the front of the car may impact the adjoining lane or anyone overtaking us,” Emerson says. “And then, as mentioned before, we can use our wing mirror to help ensure we park close and parallel to the kerb.”

Ensure you also use your wing mirror and do a head check to ensure the lane is clear when you’re pulling out of the parking spot, and heading on your way again.

“And remember to check your interior mirror every five to eight seconds.”