Driving Tips: Mirrors and Driving in Traffic

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By: Taranjit | Last Updated: May 11, 2020

Driver’s Ed doesn’t always teach you all the useful or helpful tips for driving (at least my Driver’s Ed. didn’t teach me much at all. I had to learn everything from hands-on experience). To help you be better prepared for different driving situations, here are some tips.

Adjusting your mirrors – Tips

Side mirrors

You should adjust your side view mirrors to the point that you don’t see your car in them. This helps minimize that annoying blind spot. A great way to test if your mirrors are in the right position is to drive in reverse past a car (obviously, don’t do this on a road or in traffic. More like, try this in a parking lot or your driveway), and at the point you no longer see the other car in your side view mirror, you should be able to see the car in your peripherals. And if you can’t see the car in your peripherals, then your mirrors are not in the correct position.

Rear-view mirror

You should see be able to see your entire back window through your rear-view. Make sure you are in your normal driving position when adjusting mirrors. The best position is to move your rear-view mirror so you can see the entire back window.

Mirror positioning varies from driver to driver. So be sure to check your mirrors and adjust accordingly if you share a car with another driver.

Driving in traffic you can’t see – Tips

Watch the taller vehicles in traffic ahead of you to get an idea of what is going on ahead.

This is something I do often because, at least in Maryland, drivers brake last second and that leads to a disaster. So, in order to keep myself safe and those behind me safe, I don’t just watch the car directly in front of me, but I watch the cars way ahead of me, too. This helps me prepare for any sudden stops, lane closures, or accidents in advance.

Final Thoughts

When I first started driving, no one thought me the proper position for my mirrors or warned me that I may be in a situation where I can’t see traffic ahead of me. I hope these tips help you in being better prepared for the road and make driving easier and less stressful.