Why do some drivers have this?

[Lazierdays]

I have noticed this for a while now and after googling I can’t find any answers, so I’m sure someone on mumsnet will know .

Why do some drivers put a mirror facing outward in front of their steering wheel?!

I notice it on prob about 1 in 30 cars so it is obviously a ‘thing’ but I cannot think what this thing is!

Sorry, it was standard in the car, DH didn't instal it himself!

Yes! We have an answer, a heads up display, they have reflective films and are the rectangles I have seen! I had never heard of this before, I knew mumsnet would help, and the sarcastic posters are a run for the course .

Is it wrong to break lockdown to have a drive around to see if I can spot any?

@KittensTeaAndCake once you start looking you will keep seeing them now!!
I’m so ridiculously pleased we have an answer sad

Had a search only thing close was some heads up displays, or a dual mirror, or a tablet holder, but not sure what else

We have a heads up display in our new car - it's absolutely fantastic! Probably in 5 years or so all new cars will have them.

These are the HUDs

You put your phone in with a navigator and reverse the display, the glass is partially mirrorred and reflects the display

It puts your GPS close to your line of sight so you aren’t looking away to check junctions etc

I used one occasionaly until I changed car
You can get the same effect at night with just the windscreen

It sounds a useful invention. I’m surprised I had never heard of it before, they seem increasingly common.

@Blondeissimo

It's the heads up display, I think. My car has one that can look reflective from the outside if the sun hits it in a certain way.

Yep, that's what they'll be.

OP, is it mostly on newer/higher spec cars that you're noticing it??

If so, yes, it's a kind of projector set up that projects data etc onto the windscreen for the driver to see.

Is it inside the car? Can’t picture this at all

We have a HUD. It's very useful. It shows the Speedo and navigation.

Ah I was going to say HUD, they’re great for satnav use etc as they aren’t as effected by glare as much as a phone screen, they’re also more in your eyeline.

Others have beat me to it....I was coming to say it’s a hard up display.

Both our cars have them and I LOVE them! It makes so much more sense to have key information, like your speed and next sat nav instruction, safely in your line of sight rather than having to look down at the dashboard.

Head up! Not hard up, sorry!

@Lazierdays

It sounds a useful invention. I’m surprised I had never heard of it before, they seem increasingly common.

It’s quite useful (though I’ve not bothered to transfer it since changing car)

But you do need to be selective on what apps you use. The HUD mirrors what’s on screen, some apps will work but quite a few navigators don’t come with the option and may need a payable add on

To try it out with a windscreen set your phones brightness to high, pick your app and put the phone on the dashboard
(Add a rubber mat to keep it stable if actually driving)
Then look through the windscreen to see the effect

If you have an android phone you may be able to get a screen mirroring app which will enable any navigator app to be flipped
With iPhone the navigator app would need to flip by itself
For example Waze and google maps don’t support it, I used NavMii with an optional extra

If using a reflector hud then you don’t need to boost the brightness, so also don’t waste battery power
As NavMii automatically increased brightness when going into hud mode I would have to enable it then go to settings to put brightness back to normal