How to Set Side & Rearview Car Mirrors Correctly

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Driving instructor Simon Miyerov offers easy tips to get the clearest, safest view on the road

Co-authored by Simon Miyerov and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: November 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Rearview Mirror
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Adjusting your car mirrors correctly is vitally important for minimizing your blind spot and driving safely. When your mirrors are in the right place, you should be able to just barely see the edge of your car in each side mirror and have a full, unobstructed view of the entire rear windshield through your rearview mirror. Keep scrolling to learn exactly how to set all of your car mirrors, with expert tips from professional driving instructor Simon Miyerov.

Adjusting Your Car's Mirrors

Driving instructor Simon Miyerov says to adjust each side mirror so that you see the very back edge of your car. Angle them so you see parts of two door handles from the right side mirror and one door handle from the left side mirror. Adjust the rearview mirror by hand so you can see the entire rear windshield.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Adjusting Your Wing (Side) Mirrors

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1. 
   1
   Adjust your seat so you are at a comfortable height and depth. This will also have an impact on what you see when you look in your mirrors. According to Miyerov, position your seat so you feel like your feet are gently resting on the pedals and that you can comfortably see over the front of the car.

   • Check that you can comfortably reach the gear stick and steering wheel.
   • Use a cushion to increase your height if you are particularly short and cannot see over the front of the car.
   • It may seem obvious, but Miyerov also says to make sure you’re sitting in the driver’s seat to adjust your mirrors. The perspective will be different from the passenger seat!

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Simon Miyerov is a driving instructor and the President of Drive Rite Academy in New York City. He has over 9 years of instruction experience in driving lessons, pre-licensing courses, and road test services.
2. 
   2
   Use buttons to move electronically adjusted mirrors. Most modern cars use buttons to adjust the side mirrors electronically. These buttons will normally be located just to the right of the steering wheel and will have four arrows on them indicating the direction of movement for the mirror. There will also usually be a left/right control switch to choose which mirror to move.

   • If you can't seem to find the controls, check your owner’s manual or do a quick online search to see where they are on your make and model.
   • Most older cars will still have their mirrors adjusted by hand. The way this works is usually quite simple: you will simply push the mirror into whatever position you like.
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3. 
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   Adjust the left-right plane of the mirrors first. Use the control buttons to select which mirror you’d like to adjust first, then use the left and right arrow buttons to move the mirror view from side to side. Adjust each mirror so that you can see just the edge of the back of your car. As Miyerov explains, “In the right side and left side mirrors, I recommend adjusting until you see the tip of your door handles and the full view of the street. You will see parts of two door handles from the right side mirror and one door handle from the left side mirror.”

   • If you can see a lot of your car, the mirror is too far in, and if you can see none of your car, the mirror is too far out. Both of these situations will increase your blind spot.
   • You will have a blind spot regardless of how well-adjusted your mirrors are, but the aim is to minimize this blind spot.
   • Many drivers are used to seeing a lot of their car in the side mirror view, so adjusting it outward to shrink the blind spot can feel strange at first. Just remember that the goal is to barely overlap with the view you have in your rearview mirror (you want to be able to see a car in your side mirror as soon as it moves out of your rearview mirror).
4. 
   4
   Adjust the up-down plane of your mirrors. Use the up and down arrow buttons to angle the mirrors so that the horizon is in the middle of the mirror and the road looks flat, rather than angled, going backward. Most people forget that you can also move the wing mirrors up and down. This has a fairly large impact on what you see when you look into your mirrors.

   • This setting will vary greatly with the driver's height, so always check this when you’re driving a car for the first time.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Moving Your Rearview Mirror

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1. 
   1
   Sit in your normal, comfortable driving posture. Miyerov explains that when you’re setting your mirrors, it’s important to sit in your usual posture so you can check your view accurately. Don’t sit in an unusual way that you won’t maintain while driving, otherwise what you see will be very different from when you set the mirror.

   • For example, if you know you sit tall when driving, sit tall when setting your mirrors.
2. 
   2
   Move the rearview mirror so you can see the entire rear window. “Make sure to position your rearview mirror so that you can see the entire view behind you,” Miyerov explains. “You should be able to see everything while stationary. You should not need to move your head to see a good view.”

   • You will be able to see fairly far back in the lanes behind you if the mirror is at the correct angle.
   • You use this mirror most often while driving, so the aim is for you to be able to just quickly glance at it, get the image, and look back at the road.
   • Tip: Flip the mirror upside down if you are over 6 ft (1.8 m) feet tall. This repositions the mirror so that the bottom edge is 1 in (2.5 cm) to 2 in (5.1 cm) higher than it is normally. This means the blind spot for a particularly tall driver is substantially smaller.
   

   Karen Gravelle, Driving Safety Advocate

   Set your rearview using the central frame lines first. For side mirrors, lean towards the passenger door and tweak angles until you barely see the car's side. Repeat for the driver's side, lining up ideal spots and eliminating blind zones. Take a few test drives, glancing briefly to check alignment.
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   3
   Turn on the night-view setting to avoid glare. When you’re using this mirror at night, the cars behind you will have their lights on, meaning there will most likely be some glare. Most newer cars have a night-view setting for this mirror that you can turn on. There’s usually a button attached to the mirror underneath or on the side of it.

   • This setting reduces the glare that you will have to deal with.
   • Having the setting on during the day won't make a huge difference if you forget about it, but because it dulls the light coming in, try to remember to turn it off.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How do you adjust car mirrors for maximum visibility?

  

  Simon Miyerov
  Driving Instructor

  Simon Miyerov is the President and Driving Instructor for Drive Rite Academy, a driving academy based out of New York City. Simon has over 8 years of driving instruction experience. His mission is to ensure the safety of everyday drivers and continue to make New York a safer and efficient driving environment.

  

  Simon Miyerov

  Driving Instructor

  Expert Answer

  So, for your left mirror, you should see one door handle. The right mirror should show both door handles. From the rearview, you should be able to see everything in the rear windshield without moving your head.

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Warnings

• Always remember that you have blind spots regardless of how well-adjusted your mirrors are. Always physically turn your head and check when making decisions on the road, like changing lanes or passing another driver.
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