Setting your wing mirrors

To set your wing mirrors correctly, adjust your seat and steering wheel so that you are sitting in a comfortable position and your arms are slightly bent when you hold the steering wheel at the 10-to-2 position, and you can reach the pedals.

Look at your right wing mirror without moving your head much - like you would glance as you are driving. Can you only just see a bit of the right-hand side of your vehicle, and the view is back along the road (i.e. not up into the sky or at the ground)? If so, this mirror is adjusted correctly. 

Do the same for the left-hand mirror. Bear in mind that you might like the left-hand mirror slightly angled down if it makes it easier for you to park, but this reduces your visibility in the left-hand lane. Some vehicles can be programmed to dip the left-hand mirror when you put the gearbox in reverse. Check your car's user manual.

These settings ensure that you are seeing as much of the lane next to you while still remaining aware of where your vehicle is. While having the left mirror angled down can help with fine manoeuvring along a driveway if you don't want to go off the edge, general reversing is easier if the mirrors are around the vertical position so that you can see back up the road.

There's more information about how to reverse your vehicle here, and a guide to setting your wing mirrors with photos to show you how.