Importance of rear view mirrors for safety on roads
According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) out of the 6 million car accidents that happen on U.S. roads every year, over 40% of them (2.5 million) are rear-end collisions (2013). Between 240,000 and 610,000 reported lane-change crashes occur annually. They result on average in 60,000 injuries, most of which are whiplash related.
The cost of negligence
This not to even mention the hundreds of thousands of less significant bumps. Those that perhaps do not cause any physical damage but inevitably make our wallets thinner and result in a lot of stress. Let alone time. We may only wonder how many of these accidents could have been avoided if the due caution was maintained. That being said if the mirrors of the vehicle were correctly positioned or looked into at all, in some instances.
It's a no-brainer to understand that rear-view, as well as side-view mirrors, are one of the critical factors to safe and collision-free driving. For many of us, adjusting the mirrors is a reflex, and we do it without giving it a second thought. The perfect positioning is such that we see the whole back panorama. Both the rear and along the sides of the car. With all mirrors acting with one another. This allows the driver to parallel park, back into space or exit it without damaging or scratching other vehicles.
Moving slowly in a traffic jam, mirrors help you to keep an eye on other drivers behind you. You can control if they are maintaining a safe distance, just in case if you have to stop suddenly. Mirrors are of vital importance also when it comes to manoeuvring on highways or expressways. Failing to see a car fast approaching from behind may end in a tragedy. If we simultaneously decide to change the lane without checking the mirrors, we create a massive danger and risk people's lives. In the worst-case scenario even causing a pileup.
Conscious society = safe roads
Last but not least. If talking about different scenarios - we may save a crazy cyclist passing us lightning quick by while we open the door. Not only they stay in one piece, but also our door remains intact. With a bit of precaution – time and money saved.
We live in the busiest times ever with more and more things distracting us constantly. And with less and, less focus put into it. Things like smartphones, billboards or radio don't excuse us, however, from taking responsibility for safety on the roads. It's up to us to assure that our vehicle satisfies legal safety criteria. With a wide range of rear-view mirrors in our offer, we help you to make the right choice of keeping the roads safe for everyone.