In cars, the rear-view mirror is usually affixed to the top of the windshield on a double-swivel mount allowing it to be adjusted to suit the height and viewing angle of any driver and to swing harmlessly out of the way if impacted by a vehicle occupant in a collision.

[6] Harroun also claimed that the mirror vibrated constantly due to the rough brick surface, and it was rendered largely useless.

They attach to the main rear-view mirror and are independently adjustable to view the back seat.

[citation needed] A prismatic rear-view mirror—sometimes called a "day/night mirror"—can be tilted to reduce the brightness and glare of lights, mostly for high-beam headlights of vehicles behind which would otherwise be reflected directly into the driver's eyes at night.

This type of mirror is made of a piece of glass that is wedge-shaped in cross-section—its front and rear surfaces are not parallel.

"Manual tilt" day/night mirrors first began appearing in the 1930s and became standard equipment on most passenger cars and trucks by the early 1970s.

In the 1940s, American inventor Jacob Rabinow developed a light-sensitive automatic mechanism for the wedge-type day/night mirror.

Objects are sometimes hung from the rear-view mirror, including cross necklaces, prayer beads, good luck charms, decorations like fuzzy dice, and air fresheners like Little Trees.

[10][11] In some jurisdictions such hanging is illegal on the basis that it impairs the driver's forward view and so compromises safety.

These mirrors leave a large unviewable ("blind") area behind the vehicle, which tapers down as the distance increases.