When driving alone, why cover your car mirrors with bags? When traveling alone, there are several things you can do to protect your safety while on the road. One simple action that many people neglect when parking is putting bags over their side mirrors.
It is an excellent approach to avoiding automobile break-ins and thefts in the first place! It may seem inconvenient at first, but trust us when we say it’s worth only 5 minutes of your time to have peace of mind when traveling. Cover your side mirrors with bags or other materials. It will be impossible for someone to climb in through one of the windows without waking up any potential sleeping passengers nearby.
Most thieves will move on to a less complicated target if no one around hears them trying to get into your car or if they cannot break in owing to the mirrors being covered. Covering your mirrors may not wholly prevent burglars from breaking into your vehicle, but it will make it considerably less likely.
It can be a challenge to know what you’ll need when you’re traveling alone. When traveling alone, people carry a lot of things with them, but one of the most common things they forget is to cover their car mirrors with bags.
It may appear to be a strange thing to do. There are, nevertheless, some compelling explanations.
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Covering your automobile mirrors makes it far more difficult for someone to gain entry through either side window. They have no way of knowing if there is anything of value inside your car if they can’t see it.
The difficulty caused by this will often dissuade burglars from breaking in at all, keeping you safe and avoiding a long and expensive trip to the auto dealership for glass repairs.
Why would you put a bag over your car’s side mirror when traveling alone?
- To keep glass cleaner and other cleaning products from breaking and leaking while on the road.
- If you leave your car mirrors exposed by accident, someone may be able to see expensive objects inside your vehicle, such as laptops or cell phones, and break in to steal them.
- It can keep headlights from shining on the side-view mirror while the traveler is traveling at night.
- It can assist reduce glare, especially while driving at night.
- You might use it to cover one of your car’s windows or other apertures when you’re sleeping to hide incoming light.
- To keep items out of the car that would otherwise fall into it while you’re driving.
- Keep your side view mirrors covered when the sun is beaming directly into them on any day or night to avoid sunburn.
- It can keep valuables from being observed outside your vehicle, like other travelers passing by.
- It might be utilized to prevent dirt and debris from your car while you sleep by totally covering one of the windows or other holes.
- To give shade for yourself or another person riding in the vehicle with you or sleeping inside.
- It can assist in the blocking of sunlight.
When Traveling Alone, Having A Bag Over The Car Mirror Is Convenient
- When utilized as a footrest, a traveler can keep items off the automobile floor.
- When placed over a window, it reduces the amount of light that enters the car, helping to keep valuables hidden from view from the outside.
- It Might use to hide road lights and other vital light sources that would otherwise shine into the vehicle and distract a driver while driving at night.
- When traveling alone, drape a bag over the car mirror to save some storage space on the car’s floor, which is especially useful for anyone with limited space.
- While looking around in your side-view mirrors can be deemed “cheating” in parking lots, it’s no longer essential to do so with a bag over your mirror.
- If someone wants to sit in the back seat of your automobile, they can do so without worrying about something obscuring the rearview mirror.
We’ll offer you all of the reasons why some people say to do this so you can understand how stupid such thinking is.
- To prevent the leakage of glass cleaner and other cleaning solutions when traveling.
- A burglar could use the mirror to check if you have any valuables in your car before breaking in and stealing them.
- Reduces glare from the headlights of vehicles approaching from behind.
- When parked and taking a nap, block incoming light from light poles or other sources.
- To keep items from falling into your car while driving hidden.
- To avoid getting a sunburn by reflecting the sun’s beams.
- To keep dirt and debris from accumulating on your mirrors
- Keep the sun out.
These aren’t made-up reasons. This link will lead you to them. Even more ludicrous is their list of advantages for doing so. For example, when most websites mention “when traveling alone,” they never give reasons why you should.
Those are just clickbait names designed to entice you to visit their websites and watch movies or other adverts. There’s no necessity to keep a Ziploc bag on your mirrors just in case you’re going by yourself.
There are several for traveling in various weather situations, but you must use caution. For example, most states have regulations requiring that you have an unobstructed field of vision when driving and that covering your mirrors with plastic bags while driving obstructs that requirement.
If the officer who spots you is in a foul mood, you can get a penalty, even if it’s a Ziploc bag made of translucent plastic.
When traveling alone, the disadvantage of placing bags over car mirrors is:
- When you reach home, you may find it inconvenient to remove the bag from your mirror, especially if you need to use it for its intended purpose again later. However, when compared to the alternative of dealing with a broken window or stolen property, this inconvenience is usually minor.
- If a traveler has one bag to cover their rearview mirror, it may not fit over the side mirrors, making visibility around them more difficult.
- A traveler may collide with the bag as they enter their vehicle. However, this is unlikely unless they are in a rush or easily distracted.
- If a person’s vehicle has little room, it may be challenging to locate a location to put the bag without blocking their car’s mirrors.
- If someone else sees your car with luggage bags in the mirror, it may appear unusual. It is unlikely unless you’re driving through a congested area, a resort town, or another tourist magnet.
When driving, take the following precautions:
- Always wear a seatbelt.
- Don’t drive if you’ve had too much to drink.
- When you’re not in your car, make sure it’s locked.
- Keep pepper spray on you as a self-defense weapon.
- If you’re driving alone at night, cover your mirrors with bags to avoid being followed by other vehicles or people who might wish to steal your car.
- Never stop at a gas station late at night, especially if it is in a remote location (especially if female)
- When you’re stopped at a red light, turn off the radio so that would-be burglars can’t hear you by music coming from your car speakers.
- Stay in well-lit parking lots and park near well-lit businesses (this is also good advice for women traveling alone)
- Don’t use ATMs after dark.
- Pay with cash rather than credit cards to restrict the amount of money stolen from your account.
- Before entering any public space, lock all doors and windows.
- If you are being followed or harassed, flee as soon as possible.
- Call the cops if you see anything strange.
- Be alert to what is going on around you.
Car Mirror with Ziplock Bag
There are a few websites that promote this type of vacation. They present more rational and better explanations than the ones we stated before. These justifications should only be used when you are not driving and are parked.
According to one explanation, the purpose of this method is to keep snow and ice off your side mirrors. If you grew up in a time when cars didn’t have heated side mirrors, you’d appreciate how valuable this trick is. It saves you some time and keeps your mirror from freezing and shattering.
When driving, though, this is not an issue. Snow and ice both have a difficult time sticking to moving objects. Also, covering your side mirrors with a bag will not prevent someone from peering inside your car to check whether you have any valuables.
They’ll be able to do it nonetheless because your automobile has six other windows far more significant than a side mirror. When parked, some RV owners claim they do this to deter birds from landing on the mirror, fooling them into thinking there is another bird in front of them.
When the birds perceive the image, they peck at it. Their razor-sharp beaks have the potential to shatter your mirror. Putting a bag over the mirror will help prevent this from happening. However, this is only done while the RV or car is parked, not while moving.
It will be determined by the sort of vehicle you possess and whether or not it has heated side mirrors. First and foremost, nothing should be covering your mirrors when driving. You should have clear vision for anything happening behind you. That implies the mirrors should be exposed when you’re moving. Second, you can cover the mirror with anything to protect it from frost or snow. Rubber-banded thick cloths or towels, as well as plastic bags, are acceptable. The goal is to add another layer of protection, so your mirrors don’t become covered in snow or ice.
You should buy a cover covering the entire car, including the mirrors, to prevent people’s gaze in your vehicle or stop UV rays. In addition, it will prevent anyone from seeing inside your car’s interior and seeing what you have left inside.
These covers will also protect you from the sun’s harmful rays. Furthermore, they will prevent your automobile from overheating due to prolonged exposure to the sun.
Final Thoughts
Make sure you understand the road regulations before you get behind the wheel. Keep your side mirrors clear to see what’s going on in the world around you. If you’re concerned about glare, side mirrors can be adjusted so that they don’t reflect light.
Learn more: How do hotels clean their glass shower doors?