The Hidden Feature on Your Car's Rearview Mirror Most Drivers Ignore

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Why Don't More People Use It?

Many people simply never learn what the lever does.

Others drive vehicles equipped with automatic dimming mirrors, which detect bright headlights and darken automatically. These mirrors don't require flipping a tab.

If your mirror has no lever, your car may already have this automatic feature.

When Should You Flip the Lever?

Use the night position when:

  • Driving after sunset
  • A vehicle behind you has bright headlights
  • You're driving on dark roads
  • Heavy traffic causes frequent glare

During daylight hours, return the mirror to its normal position for the clearest view.

Other Ways to Reduce Nighttime Glare

You can also improve nighttime visibility by:

  • Keeping your windshield clean inside and out
  • Cleaning the rearview mirror regularly
  • Adjusting your side mirrors correctly
  • Avoiding looking directly at bright headlights
  • Making sure your prescription glasses are up to date if you wear them

The Bottom Line

That tiny lever beneath your rearview mirror isn't just a piece of plastic—it's a simple safety feature that has been helping drivers for decades.

If your car has one, try using it the next time you're driving at night. You may be surprised by how much more comfortable your journey feels.

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My parents gave my sister $80,000 to study in Paris and said I “didn’t deserve help”—Years later, my $5 million house and a public speech for a scholarship exposed the daughter they’d bet against… My mother told me I didn’t deserve help while a glass of champagne was still being raised in the air for my sister’s Parisian dream, which had been given to her for $80,000. For a second, no one moved. The crystal chandelier above the dining room table trembled with tiny golden glimmers. Dad’s associates stood still, with forced smiles plastered on their faces. Mrs. Whitaker next door stopped chewing. My sister Leah, radiant in a cream-colored silk dress, covered her mouth with both hands as if she’d just been crowned queen of the universe. Maybe she was. My parents had just announced they’d give her $80,000 to study art in Paris. Not a loan. Not a little help. A donation. My father stood at the head of the table in his navy blue suit buttoned to the hem and declared, “Talent deserves investment. Leah has a gift, and we believe Paris is the place where that gift will become something extraordinary.” Everyone applauded. Mom cried. Leah cried even harder. I sat at the end of the table, the place they always reserved for me because I was “quiet.” Daisy Coleman, the practical daughter. The quiet daughter. The one who never needed much. The one who could sit near the bathroom aisle and still say thank you. I waited for the applause to die down. I waited for Leah to hug Mom, hug Dad, kiss them both on the cheek, and accept the congratulations as if she’d already painted the ceiling of the Louvre. Then I put down my fork. The sound of metal touching porcelain echoed through the room. “And me?” I asked. I didn’t raise my voice. I’d never been loud in that house. Loudness was Leah's prerogative. Loud was her way of laughing, of crying, of dreaming, of disasters, of opening her exhibitions, of suffering for love, of painting unfinished canvases scattered across the porch as a testament to a genius. I was twenty-six, working full-time in software support, taking night classes in data analysis, and saving up for a certification that cost two thousand dollars. Two thousand dollars I was afraid to ask for because in my family, asking for something always meant getting a receipt. My mother didn't even look at me at first. She kept her eyes fixed on Leah, brushing a strand of blond hair out of her face as if Leah were still a child and not a twenty-eight-year-old with an engagement ring, designer shoes, and a life financed by everyone else's sacrifices. Then Mom smiled. Not kindly. Not cruelly. Worse. Naturally. "You don't deserve any help, Daisy." The words hit the table like a loaded gun. Dad closed his eyes for half a second. Not because she disagreed. Because Mom had said the part that needed to be kept secret, in public. Leah lowered her hands from her mouth. The tears stopped. Around the table, the guests stared at the wine glasses, the napkins, the plates, anything but my face. No one wanted to witness the exact moment a daughter realized her place. I looked at my mother's diamond ring. I looked at my father's gold watch. I looked at Leah's new bracelet, the one Mom had bought her "for courage" before Paris. Then I smiled. That scared them more than the tears would have. I took a sip of water slowly. The glass felt cool against my fingers, and I remember thinking how strange it was that my hands weren't shaking. My heart wasn't pounding. My throat wasn't closing up. Something inside me had simply gone silent. Completely silent. Dad cleared his throat. “Daisy, this isn’t the time.” “No,” I said, still smiling. “It really is the time.” My mother’s expression became serious. “Don’t make a scene.” It was the phrase my family always told me. Don’t make a scene. Don’t ruin Leah’s moment. Don’t be touchy. Don’t make comparisons. Don’t ask why your sister has a room overlooking the garden and you have one overlooking the street. Don’t ask why Leah’s report cards were framed while your science fair trophy ended up in a closet. Don’t ask why her crying was art and your tiredness was just an act. Don’t make a scene. So I didn’t yell. I didn’t throw the wine. I didn’t tell everyone at the party that when I had the flu in college, Mom told me to call a friend because Leah had an audition the next morning. I didn’t mention the birthday card with twenty dollars in it, while two weeks later they were throwing a rooftop party for Leah. I didn’t ask why Leah had a car and I had a bus pass. I just stood there. The chair legs rustled on the floor. I folded my napkin once, carefully, and placed it next to my plate. My steak was untouched. My wine was untouched. My old life was over. Mom was staring at me. “Sit down.” For the first time in my life, I heard that command and felt nothing. I looked from her, then at Dad, then at Leah. “Don't worry,” I said. “You'll never have to waste anything on me again.” Leah's mouth dropped open. “Daisy, come on. Don't be so dramatic.” That's when I finally looked at her. I really looked at her. Al si 👇 Read the full story below.