In the year 1911, Ray Harroun, a racing driver lifted the trophy as winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500.
Can you guess what was the secret behind his success?
His secret weapon was the mirror he attached to his Marmon Wasp race car, such that he could see anyone closing in from behind. However, it wasn't until the 1920s that side mirrors called Cop Spotters became common as a means of avoiding speeding tickets. In the 1960s, side mirrors became a standard for motor vehicle safety.

Side mirrors today.

Today, side mirrors have moved on, they have evolved to include features like electronic adjustments, heated mirrors, and even camera-based systems.

The basic side mirror is a bulging mirror that curves outwards to create a curve. This provides a wider field of view, allowing you to see more on the single mirror, which also reduces blind spots, but this comes with a problem. You may have seen it boldly written on a side mirror that "objects in the mirror are closer than they appear".
Being wide and covering blind spots also distorts the image, making objects appear a ittle smaller and farther away than they really are. So don't base your judgement on the apparent distance in a side mirror.

Centre Rearview Mirror

Designed to show what is directly behind the car, the centre rearview mirror is a flat mirror that provides a more accurate distance of vehicles behind you, and is very useful when driving in reverse.

My Mitsubishi has a manual dimmer lever, while some cars have features like auto-dimming in the centre mirror to reduce glare from headlights coming from behind.

Function of side mirrors

There are some parts of the car's surroundings you can not see when driving, let's join others in calling such areas blind spots. The function of a side mirror is to make such blind spots visible.

The side mirrors also show the back of the car, a feature you need when making lane change so you can see approaching vehicles

You also need your side mirrors when parking and manoeuvring during reverse as they enhance visibility, provide a wider view of your surroundings

Modern features and extended functions.

An automatic blind spot detection and alert is an additional feature that comes with modern side mirrors. Some mirrors have auto-adjust and can be adjusted from inside the vehicle without winding down.

There are side mirrors that come with indicators for increased visibility.

Cameras and high-definition screens have replaced traditional mirrors in some vehicles.

Conclusion and Invitation.

Without having to turn and look back, a glance at a side mirror has prevented countless accidents, helped us park safely and properly, assisted us when changing lanes and other manoeuvres.

I would love to invite @stevographix, @rubee2as1, @ikechukwu77, @utbros12345 and @sammy75

Media Credit

Composer	@manuelhooks
Graphics from	Galaxy-A15
Community	Steem For Bangladesh
Date	Sunday 21st December
	(@) 2025