Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Vehicle Equipment

According to the manual, how should you set your side mirrors?

  1. A.
    So the full side of your vehicle is always visible
  2. B.
    So they show mostly the sky above the road
  3. C.
    So you cannot see any part of your vehicle
  4. D.
    So you just barely see the side of your vehicle when leaning Correct
The Why

The answer is "So you just barely see the side of your vehicle when leaning"

The side mirror is aimed outward so leaning left or right lets you just barely catch sight of your own vehicle. Drivers who learned the older habit of keeping the full fender in the glass pick Choice A, which duplicates the rearview coverage and leaves in place the blind spot the mirror aim is meant to eliminate.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. So the full side of your vehicle is always visible

That aim duplicates the rearview coverage and enlarges the blind spot. This answer reflects an older mirror habit that keeps the fender in view from a normal seating position.

B. So they show mostly the sky above the road

Side mirrors should show traffic beside and behind your vehicle, not sky; a skyward aim hides the lanes next to you. This answer overshoots the outward blind-spot tilt by aiming the glass above the horizon instead of level with it.

C. So you cannot see any part of your vehicle

The manual keeps a small view of the vehicle as a reference point when leaning. This answer follows the blind-spot elimination technique that pushes each side mirror outward until the vehicle disappears from view entirely.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Vehicle Equipment in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Chapter 3: Learning to Drive, Vehicle Checks: Preparing to Drive - Adjust the rearview and side mirrors," p.31..

More from this topic

Related Pennsylvania questions

More than a book

You just took one Pennsylvania question apart. The book does it for the whole test.

The Pennsylvania book unlocks a free companion: an adaptive study plan, progress synced across your devices, a denser laminate cheat sheet, and a test-day walkthrough. Verify your copy once, usually in seconds; there's nothing extra to buy.

Get the book on Amazon

$18.99 paperback, free companion included.

Free study plan

Your free Pennsylvania study plan

A short run of study emails for the Pennsylvania PennDOT test: what to drill, the rules people trip on, and a final pre-test checklist. The printable cheat sheet is free to grab either way.

One email a few times a month. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.