A mirror system for a vehicle having driver's side viewing device located
in a mirror housing mounted on the vehicle wherein a first section of the
mirror housing contains a viewing surface in the interior of the vehicle
and a second portion of the mirror housing is optically open to the
outside of the vehicle; said first section of the mirror housing adapted
to contain one or more substantially right angle triangular prisms having
two sides of substantially equal length and two vertices of substantially
equal angles; said prism mounted in the first section of the mirror
housing so that one of the two sides of equal length of said prism is
positioned in an opening facing the interior of the vehicle to provide a
viewing surface; the second one of the sides of equal length is facing to
the exterior of the vehicle; said second section of the mirror housing
sized and shaped to contain operative optical elements comprising one or
more reflective means mounted in the second section of the mirror housing
at an angle to the second one of the sides of equal length of the
prism(s) in the first section of the mirror housing so that when the
driver looks through the viewing surface of the prism he can see objects
to the side and rear of the vehicle.