Car mirror 101
The way traffic moves in Hawaii
Pro tips for using your mirrors
Conclusion
Car mirror 101
Your mirrors are crucial to your safety on the road. They obviously allow you to keep your eyes on the road in front of you while you are simultaneously able to check what is behind you and to the side of you. However, you need to make sure that you always have your mirrors correctly positioned so that you always have maximum visibility.
This means you should check your mirrors every time that you get into your car and then adjust them accordingly. If you have mirrors that are power adjusted by controls in your car, be sure that they are functioning each time that you get in your car. If they are not, get them fixed as soon as you can.
Take time each week to make sure that your mirrors are clear and clean. Smudges, dirt and grime are constantly possible in Hawaii due to due to bugs, humid weather, pollen and breezy weather.
Be aware that objects in your mirrors might be closer than they actually appear. So, if you look into one of your side mirrors and it seems like you are far enough in front of a car behind you to merge into another lane, be sure you turn your head quickly to check and make sure you actually do have enough room to safely merge.
Finally, your sideview mirrors are particularly prone to fog up in certain weather. Do not start driving until you are able to de-fog them. Driving without the use of your side mirrors is very dangerous and illegal as well.
 
The way traffic moves in Hawaii
Traffic in Hawaii moves much more slowly than most places. This leads to congestion and higher rates of traffic jams. This means that maneuvering in traffic will be much more difficult and you will be at a higher risk of an accident when you are on a congested road.
Fortunately, drivers in Hawaii are also much more polite and friendly. So, the odds of someone allowing you to merge in front of you as a courtesy are high. Although, you should always keep alert and use your mirrors when you are performing any maneuver with a lot of other cars around.
Pro tips for using your mirrors
Most people are aware of the general use of their mirrors while driving. However, you can get the most safety out of your mirrors by using these pro tips:
- Side mirrors are equally important when opening your door – People tend to open their doors blindly. Doing so is a large danger to your door, yourself, bicyclists and other drivers. Always take a quick peek in your mirror and at your blind spot before opening your driver-side door.
- The adjustment matters – Exactly how you adjust your rear-review and side-view mirrors will depend entirely on your height, seat adjustment and vision. With that in mind, be sure that you can see the areas of the road closest to your car without cutting off any of the mirror’s view with any of your vehicle itself.
- Quickly check your blind spot – Checking your blind spot may be the most well-known rule when using your mirrors to merge. However, some people take way too long checking their blind spots. Do a quick turn of your head to ensure there are no cars in your blind spots, but if you linger with your eyes off the road for too long, you could get into an accident with the traffic that is in front of you.
Conclusion
Mirrors are an important and necessary part of a car’s safety. This is definitely the case in Hawaii where traffic can get bad in seemingly random situations. So, you should always be ready to maneuver your car with a lot of other slow-moving vehicles around. Stay safe and always use your mirrors in traffic in Hawaii.
