DEKRA experts warn against hanging face masks in your field of vision
Rear-View Mirror is Not a Clothes Hook
Extraordinary situations demand extraordinary measures. For example, coronavirus masks are currently in everyone’s faces. In many countries, citizens are required to wear them. Drivers are no exception: If you stop to buy a sandwich or even just gas, you often need. Many drivers are therefore keeping at least one mask in their car. However, DEKRA experts are warning them not to hang their mask on the rear-view mirror.
- Even small mirror pendants are dangerous
- Movements at the edge of your field of vision are harder to notice
- Keep mouth and nose coverings in one of the storage compartments
“Even comparatively small mirror pendants such as lanyards, air fresheners and the like are dangerous, in our view,” says Peter Rücker, Head of DEKRA Accident Research. “So it’s all the more true for relatively large face masks.”
The problem is not only that the driver’s field of vision is restricted – especially when turning – but also that pendants on the inside mirror are a distraction. “Because there is always an object dangling there, drivers become accustomed to constant movements at the edge of their field of vision. The result is that they notice movements outside the vehicle, such as cyclists or pedestrians on the right-hand side of the road, much later,” says the expert. This can cause serious accidents that could have been avoided.
“The masks are there to protect people. If you carelessly hang one on your rear-view mirror, you’re doing the opposite: endangering other road users,” says Rücker.
He makes a clear recommendation: “Keep your coronavirus mask in one of the storage compartments. Most vehicle models offer plenty of them. But the rear-view mirror is not a suitable clothes hook.”