A wing mirror (or side mirror) is a mirror found on motor vehicles for the purposes of helping the driver see areas behind and to the sides of mirror'' because it is mounted on the side of a car.

The term is still frequently used although all modern cars mount their side mirrors on the doors, normally at the "A" pillar.

Some car manufacturers allow mirrors to be either manually pushed or electrically folded in, to protect them when they are parked. Passing cars can easily clip wing mirrors that stick out causing damage. However the folding capability protects them from harm.

They are often referred to erroneously as rear-view mirrors.

Types of wing mirrors

Car

In the United States, passenger-side mirrors have this line engraved on the lower part of the mirror -

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

This is because passenger-side mirrors are convex to allow the drivers to get a wide-angle view of the road -- behind them and to the sides -- but at the same time, causes objects to appear more distant.
A flat mirror used on driver's side mirrors, on the other hand, would not provide a wider view of the road.

See also

Rear-view mirror