How to adjust car mirrors before driving

Adjust your car mirrors while safely parked, after setting your seat, and check the view from the position you will actually use to drive. Aim for useful coverage behind and beside the car, following the vehicle handbook and your instructor’s guidance; do not assume that good adjustment removes every blind spot.

Mirror setup is different from remembering to use mirrors during a journey. First you need a usable view. Then you need to interpret it at the right time. Highway Code Rule 97 includes correct seat and mirror adjustment in preparation before setting off.

Start with your position, not the switches

Imagine setting the mirrors while leaning towards the dashboard to find their controls. When you sit back, the view changes. A similar problem occurs if you adjust everything and then move the seat significantly closer to the pedals.

Before touching a mirror, settle into your intended driving position with the instructor. Our seat-setup guide explains those first checks. Check that you can use the controls comfortably and see the road ahead. If another learner has used the car, do not rely on their settings even when the seat initially feels familiar.

Ask where the mirror controls are and what each setting does. Some cars have a left/right selector followed by a directional switch; others use different arrangements. A folding control is not the same as a glass-adjustment control. Toyota’s official setup guide illustrates why you should identify the actual controls rather than assume every car operates identically.

Set the interior mirror

From your normal seated position, adjust the interior mirror to give a useful view through the rear window. The aim is to see the road behind, not mainly the back seat or the roof lining. Avoid changing your posture to make a badly set mirror appear satisfactory.

Your instructor can demonstrate the adjustment and then ask you to check the result yourself. Explain what you can see rather than saying “done” because the mirror has moved. A brief description also reveals whether luggage, a head restraint or another obstruction is affecting the view.

If the car has a manual anti-dazzle function, learn how it works while stationary. An automatic-dimming mirror or camera-based display may operate differently. Follow the handbook for that vehicle; do not force an unfamiliar mirror or assume a lever has the same effect in every car.

Set the exterior mirrors individually

Check each side separately from your driving position. You need useful coverage beside and behind the vehicle, not a view dominated by its own bodywork or by the sky. Equally, aiming the mirror only at the nearby kerb removes information you will need during normal driving.

There is no universal fraction of car bodywork or exact horizon position that guarantees correct adjustment in every model. Seat height, mirror shape and vehicle design differ. Let your instructor check your particular view, especially when you change cars.

A practical stationary exercise is to describe an identifiable object in each mirror, such as a safely located sign or parked vehicle. Discuss which areas each mirror shows and which it does not. Do this in a safe parked location, not by placing someone near moving traffic to demonstrate a blind spot.

Understand why things look different

The DVSA-backed Safe Driving for Life guide to instruments and driving aids explains the difference between flat and convex mirrors. Convex glass shows a wider area but makes vehicles appear smaller, which can make their position and approach harder to judge.

Do not interpret a small image as proof that a vehicle is safely far away. Ask your instructor to help you compare the views in the lesson car and understand their limitations. The useful skill is recognising movement and position in context, not memorising what one car looks like in one mirror.

Clean glass also matters. If a mirror is smeared, obscured or damaged, adjusting its angle may not solve the problem. Raise the issue before moving away. Learn which demisting or heating functions the car actually has instead of assuming a familiar-looking button controls the mirror.

Recheck after parking adjustments or a driver change

Some vehicles offer a reverse-tilt feature, and some drivers adjust a mirror temporarily for a parking task. Before returning to ordinary driving, make sure the normal view has been restored. Understand the vehicle’s behaviour rather than relying on a feature you have not checked.

If you share a practice car, build a fresh setup check into every handover. A saved memory position can be useful, but the final check is still whether the settings work for you. Take a moment to settle into your normal posture and inspect the view on both sides.

If you discover a setup problem once moving, tell your instructor and stop somewhere safe before making a distracting adjustment. Avoid reaching across the cabin or concentrating on a switch while the road needs your attention.

Adjustment does not replace observation

Even a carefully adjusted set of mirrors leaves areas outside its view. Our blind-spot guide explains how to connect observations to a decision without treating a head movement as a performance for the examiner.

Keep these two questions separate: “Is this mirror set correctly?” and “Have I checked the relevant space before moving?” The first prepares the car. The second must be answered again as traffic and pedestrians move. A correct setup at the start of a lesson cannot tell you whether someone is beside you ten minutes later.

Questions to ask in your next lesson

• Can I identify and use the controls without guessing?
• Is my normal posture changing after I set the mirrors?
• Which parts of the scene remain hidden in this car?
• Does either mirror change automatically when reversing?
• How will I recognise that the ordinary driving view is restored?

Should my mirrors match my instructor’s settings?

No. The relevant viewpoint is yours in the driver’s seat. Ask the instructor to help you verify the result, not to copy their preferred physical position.

Can mirrors compensate for luggage blocking the rear window?

Do not assume that turning the exterior mirrors further outward resolves an obstructed view. Discuss the load, vehicle and visibility requirements before travelling and follow the relevant handbook instructions.

Where does this fit into learning to drive?

Mirror setup is part of preparation, alongside safe seating and knowing the controls. Read our first-lesson checklist, explore course options and contact Learn and Drive if you need help planning your first lesson or adjusting to an unfamiliar car.

If you are arranging lessons in Merseyside, our Liverpool lesson-planning guide covers local journey goals and the information to include in your enquiry. Setting up the car remains the first task, wherever the lesson starts.