Side Rearview Mirrors: A Distance That Costs Lives...

Many of us own a car, but have you ever wondered why the right side mirror has the inscription:

"Objects in mirror are closer than they appear"?

Being on the opposite side of the car, it would be extremely difficult for the driver to see approaching objects in a standard flat mirror. Therefore, side mirrors are intentionally made slightly convex to give the driver a wider field of view. Otherwise, we would only be able to see a very small section of the road, thereby creating blind spots. However, for an inexperienced driver, this can cause a dangerous situation on the road.

Looking into the spherical mirror on the passenger side, a driver can misjudge the time to collision by as much as 0.5 seconds, and this can lead to fatal consequences.

The inscription serves as a constant reminder to be careful and not to rely solely on the mirror when determining distance. Drivers are advised to check their blind spots by turning their heads to get a more accurate picture of the traffic situation.

Thus, the warning "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" is a safety measure designed to prevent accidents caused by misjudging the distance to objects reflected in the car's side mirrors.

To avoid getting into an accident, before making a maneuver, remember that the vehicle moving behind you may actually be much closer to you than it appears.