How should the external mirrors of the passenger car be positioned?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
C. Such that a fragment of the side of the car and the road behind is visible in the mirror.
Explanation
The photo shows a car's left exterior mirror while driving on a motorway; in the mirror you can see the road with a barrier and a flyover, and a narrow part of the side of the vehicle at its inner edge. The exterior mirror should be adjusted so that you can see a part of the side of the vehicle in it - answer C. Half of the mirror taken up by the side window (A) is a waste of the field of view, and not seeing the side at all (B) makes it harder to judge distance.
The Regulation on the technical conditions of vehicles requires a vehicle to have mirrors that give the driver the rear view needed for safety, and the Road Traffic Act requires the vehicle to give a sufficient field of view. You adjust the mirror from your normal position behind the steering wheel so that you see a narrow strip of the bodywork at the inner edge, and the rest of the glass is filled with the road. The strip of the side is a reference point - thanks to it you know how far away and at what angle the vehicle behind you is. When the mirror shows half the car, you waste half of the view and make the blind spot next to the rear doors bigger; when you cannot see the side at all, it is hard to judge distance. Well-adjusted mirrors do not replace a look over your shoulder before changing lanes.
Legal basis: § 11 para. 1 point 5 and 5a of the Regulation on the technical conditions of vehicles and the scope of their necessary equipment; Art. 66 para. 1 point 5 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)