Cars have convex mirrors instead of flat ones because they give a wider field of view. This means there are fewer blind spots, and the driver can see what's behind the car more clearly. However ...

On the other hand, convex mirrors do a much better job of minimizing blind spots than their flat, aka planar, alternatives. They do such a good job, in fact, that in 2010 the US Department of ...

The mirrors turn an everyday scene surreal, bending concrete like it’s jelly and exaggerating the size of Ms. Jimenez-Cortes’s face, her iPhone or her extended middle finger.

The residents, who live north of the Ventura Freeway, say that in the absence of any speed-reduction enhancements — such as humps — the convex mirrors are one of the few safety measures they have.

The shape of the mirror also makes a difference in our perception. In the U.S., passenger-side mirrors are convex (meaning curved slightly outward), whereas driver-side mirrors are flat.

We are also not sure when the first right outside mirror appeared, but the left outside mirror became standard in the 1960s. We do know why objects appear smaller: Convex lenses bend light.