Wing mirrors are very exposed on cars, meaning that people driving recklessly or carelessly, or even people walking along the pavement can easily damage them simply by not paying attention. On top of this, they tend to be a great target for vandals who will happily knock them clean off just for a laugh.

There is unfortunately fairly little than can be done about such things, although the first step to take is to ensure that you always tuck in your wing mirrors when you are not using the car. If they are tucked in, this doesn’t just mean that people are far less likely to damage them accidentally, but also that impetuous vandals won’t be inspired to knock them off and will instead pass them by. 

There is also another thing that can be done though. Checking to see if your insurance covers wing mirror damage can help you save a certain amount of money should you find you have to replace one or both of them.

Finally, looking after them might simply involve looking into getting new ones. This may seem strange, but a wing mirror can totally alter the look of the car whilst also being extremely necessary for safety. Therefore, if yours are not in optimum condition, changing them can help you ensure that they look after you too, whilst also vastly improving the look of your vehicle.

On top of this many of the new ones will have indicator lights incorporated into them, meaning that you bolster safety and efficiency in another way too.

It may not always be practical to ensure they are totally safe from damage, but making sure you know that you have done all you can and are able to quickly change them should they be damaged should mean that you have a car looking as good as possible that is as safe as possible.

Wing mirrors may need to be adjusted now and again to ensure they are in the right position for a driver to have a clear view of the road behind them.

Car wing mirrors in the correct position should enable a driver to see the widest possible viewpoint of the road behind. If a driver cannot see a lot when looking in the wing mirrors, they will need to be adjusted before even setting off on the road.

 A lot of drivers may get confused about how exactly they should adjust wing mirrors. By having the right knowledge and with a little practice, they will be able to avoid the risk of being involved in an accident.

 When a driver looks in an interior rear view mirror, they should be able to see the rear view window of the car perfectly. If they cannot see the window then the mirror needs to be adjusted.

 The exterior mirrors should help a driver see as much of the road behind them as possible. Some drivers adjust them so they can see the sides of the car however this can very often create blind spots and may prevent them from seeing enough of the road to ensure they are driving safely. It is often better to adjust the mirrors so the driver can see a little beyond the sides of the car.

Drivers should place their heads against the window and adjust their mirror until they can see a little beyond the side of the car. For the other side of the car, move across until the head is in the centre of the car and look in the other mirror. If the driver cannot see the other side of the car in the mirror then it needs to be adjusted.

Remember you are only adjusting the wing mirror glass using either,  the joystick or electric switch, inside your car.

It’s probably the most annoying of all vehicular incidents and it happens every single day. Whether you’re reversing out of a tight space, squeezing through a gap in traffic or packing in your own front drive, most people are familiar with the clunk-crack sound that means your wing mirror has made contact with a solid object. The best case scenario is that the casing has cracked and a bit of masking tape will do the job, but in the worst case your mirror will be lying detached from your vehicle, two hundred metres down the road.

 If this all sounds horribly familiar you’ll also probably know that getting your wing mirror replaced is a highly annoying task – you can’t drive without two fully functioning mirrors but its such a small thing to go and fix, usually with a large garage bill attached.

 The good news is, a trip to the mechanic is probably not necessary – unless you’ve done some serious damage to the wing of your car you can probably find the replacement parts you need on-line at a bargain price. For instance, if you’ve cracked your wing mirror glass but the rest of the mirror is fine, you can avoid a full replacement by tracking down stick-on wing mirror glass, which you simply need to place on top of the original glass using an strong adhesive patch. if the mirror is beyond redemption you can also find replacements on-line for almost every make and model of car, and usually at discount prices.

It’s also worth remembering that car wing mirrors don’t just have to be a functional item on your car – if the thought of replacing a broken one is depressing you, look at it as an upgrade: shop for a wing mirror with a chrome finish, or choose a carbon fibre model to toughen up for the next potential bump!