It ’s a warning you see in basically everycar : “ object in mirror are tightlipped than they seem . ” But why ca n’t passenger - side mirror presentation objects accurately ? Well , it ’s actually a carefuldesign choicemade with safety in mind .
The way we see things is dependent onhow light reflects offobjects around us . An object ’s color , grain , Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , and other characteristics influence the direction and intensity of light that bounces off them . If the objects are muse off an intermediate target , like with amirror , our perceptual experience of the original object may be distort .
The shape of the mirror also makes a dispute in our perception . In the U.S. , rider - side mirrors areconvex(meaning curved somewhat outward ) , whereas driver - side mirrors are compressed . A convex mirror placed on the passenger side boil down the driver ’s blind spot on that side of the vehicle by presenting a wider field of view , but it also makes other elevator car seem farther away due to a slight distortion get by the conformation .
The flatter mirror on the equipment driver ’s side raise a more accurate word picture of what ’s behind the car with a more narrow field of view , since light bounce off in the same way that it hits the mirror and does n’t twist the reflection of the object . When the two mirror ’ reflectivity are combine in the driver ’s gunpoint of scene , drivers have the power to both see wider area on the rider side while keeping their middle ( chiefly ) on the route .
Theflat - convex combohas been the U.S. banner for years , though the U.S. Department of Transportation is take care into thesafety benefitsof two bulging mirrors , which European car normally sport . For now , always remember to check your mirror frequently , and appear over your berm before you change lane — and whatever you do , do n’t forget yourturn signalbefore you make a move .
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A version of this tarradiddle was in the beginning published in 2019 and has been update for 2025 .
