Dual Side Mirrors: All You Need to Know

Dual side mirrors are cool; if you’re planning on getting them, that’s a nice idea. But then, do you really understand the concept of dual side mirrors and how they work?

Well, this article clearly explains everything you need to know about this type of side mirror used in different cars.

Firstly, it is important to understand that dual side mirrors are required for vehicles with the tinted rear window. Since the rear tinted window won’t let your rear side clearly, dual side mirrors allow the driver to clearly see what’s happening at the rear of his/her vehicle.

Dual Side Mirrors: All You Need to Know

You hear people talk about dual side mirrors and you begin to wonder, “are they different from the regular side mirror you know?” Well, the simple answer is NO, they are not different from the regular side mirror in every car out there.

Dual side mirrors simply mean having side mirrors on both sides of the car; on the driver’s side and the passenger side.

The concept of dual side mirrors became more known due to tinted rear windows on “Luxury/special” cars. Before the 1960s, vehicles were built with just one side mirror – installed in the driver area to allow the driver to see the road and vehicle(s) behind him.

Drivers only needed that driver-side side mirror as the rear windshield of most old vehicles wasn’t tinted. Notwithstanding, some vehicles, at that time, came with dual side mirrors; one at the driver-side and the other on the passenger side.

The passenger-side mirror on old vehicles was installed as an “Optional” feature, and considered to be a “Luxury.” Well, most drivers at that time never needed the passenger-side mirror, and as such, not everyone was interested in the “Optional” feature.

But, now, things have changed, most modern cars now come with dual side mirrors as a necessity – on standard editions. Dual side mirrors are now common – and many young drivers don’t know that some years ago, cars had just one side mirror.

Why are Dual Side Mirrors Important?

As a way of tuning up vehicles, most drivers apply for permission to tint the rearview mirror of their cars. This makes it difficult to clearly see what’s going on at the rear while driving. Dual side mirrors help drivers to clearly see their rearview on both sides.

Also, the importance of dual side mirrors cannot be overstated, especially in these modern times where we have broader roads (with traffic on more than one side of the roads), and most people seek to have tinted windows on their cars.

If the local authorities in your state or country allow tinted windows, and you wish to get it done for you, then you must have dual side mirrors.

Well, the dual side mirror requirement is for people that own vehicles with one side mirror; if your car already has two side mirrors, you’re all good to go with the tinting process.

With the help of dual side mirrors, drivers on a multi-lane road can easily switch lanes or drift to either side of the road without colliding with another vehicle. Not to forget, dual side mirrors make your car look more balanced and “cool.” Well, there are different types of car side mirrors.

Types of Car Side Mirrors

There are varieties of side mirrors; your choice for a particular type can be influenced by quite many factors – personal preference notwithstanding.

1. Manual Side Mirrors

This is the first type of side mirror used in older cars. Manual side mirrors are adjusted “manually” – you have to come down from the vehicle and adjust them by yourself.

Well, you could stretch out your hand from the driver’s side to adjust the side mirror, without needing to come out of the car. As you may guess, this is the cheapest type of side mirror you’d get on the market.

2. Power Side-View Mirrors

This type of side mirror is adjusted from inside the car – there’s no need to step out of the car, or even touch the side mirror to adjust its position. Power side mirrors have a switch on the car’s dashboard or driver’s door area; the switch indicates horizontal and vertical arrows.

When you press the horizontal arrow, you adjust the side mirror(s) horizontally, and when you press the vertical arrow, you adjust the side mirror(s) vertically. It could be one switch for the dual side mirrors or different switches for each mirror.

3. Towing/Telescopic Side Mirrors

Towing mirrors are typically installed in trucks and they are usually installed alongside telescopic side mirrors for clearly, extended views. There are a few varieties of these side mirror types – although they are mostly manual.

Conclusion

Summarily, explained above are the important details and information you should know about dual side mirrors. They are regular side mirrors – just that they are installed on dual sides.

Well, most modern cars now come with dual side mirrors, but if you still got a car with one side mirror, it’s completely cool to add a second mirror.