When traveling down dark roads in Knoxville, TN, the bright, blinding headlights of trailing drivers could leave you unable to see or respond to what lies ahead. Also known as the Troxler Effect, this phenomenon extends reaction times and leaves motorists at risk of serious accidents. At Grayson Subaru, we're excited to showcase auto-dimming rearview mirrors by sharing how they work.
The Basic Anatomy of an Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror
Auto-dimming rearview mirrors have a front-facing, mirrored pane of glass that reflects the images of everything behind vehicles. They have a second pane of glass just behind it. Tiny microprocessors and a special, electrochromic gel are sandwiched between the two.
How an Auto-Dimming Mirror Responds to Blinding Lights
When the microprocessors in auto-dimming mirrors sense bright, blinding lights, they send out electrical charges. Electrochromic gel responds to electrical charges by changing its color. When triggered, it grows dim. As this gel darkens, the reflections in auto-dimming mirrors darken as well. This way, drivers can still see what lies behind them without experiencing short-term changes in their vision.
