Flat (true distance) vs Convex (wide vision)
Many Australians do not realise that their car side mirrors are in fact convex rather than flat and as such, that what they are seeing is a distorted view, whereby cars and other objects behind them, appear to be further away than they in fact are.
Flat mirrors can be good for those who need to back up trailers and long vehicles, allowing them to accurately judge the distance when doing so. Many people call us to install flat mirrors when they are tired of being beeped at in traffic for pulling in front of other vehicles, thinking they have more room than they actually do. Conversely, convex car mirrors offer a wider field of vision and reduce the blindspot in doing so.
So which car mirror should I choose?
Good question! For the most part, under Australian Design Rules, any car up to 2009 had to have a flat driver side mirror. Passenger side mirrors up to 2009 could be either flat or convex. Prior to 2000, virtually all cars had flat mirrors on both sides. From 2009 onwards, most vehicles in Australia (as per the rest of the world) feature convex mirrors on both the driver and passenger sides. Interior mirrors are mostly flat and that is why you will notice cars appear closer (the actual true distance) when looking in your internal reav view mirror than when looking through your car side mirrors.
Both mirror types have their positives and negatives, with an equal number of people prefering either flat or convex car mirrors. We supply as per the original standard for your model, unless you request otherwise when ordering and we are able to fit either flat or convex to your vehicle, regardless of what you had as standard previously.
