An auto-dimming rearview mirror can be useful when driving around Columbus, OH at night. It reduces glare and helps you focus your attention on the road ahead of you. Without one, you might have a hard time seeing due to distracting bright lights.
How exactly does it work? The answer has to do with what's embedded in it. Its sensors will recognize when bright lights are shining on the mirror. The sensors then send out an electric signal that travels through an electrochromic gel that's been placed between the mirror's two layers of glass. When the gel receives the signal, it undergoes a reaction that makes it change its color.
The gel transitions from being transparent to being slightly dark. In doing so, it gives the rearview mirror a darker appearance and makes it harder for light to bounce off of it. Fortunately, many of the new models at Bob-Boyd Lincoln, Inc. have this feature.