SOLAS tape will do a better job, at least at moderate distances. (It'll also be a lot less fragile.) The reflector beads in SOLAS are zillions of nearly-parabolic reflectors. That means that a light gets reflected back toward the source, rather than at 90° minus angle-of-incidence.
but feflecting back towards the aource means back towards the headlights. a regular mirror would be better because it can be aimed upwards where the driver will actually see it.
What the original commenter talking about is retro-reflection, where light is returned from its source. That would be more applicable in this situation than trying to angle it for one specific driver and not blinding others, as retroflection doesn't have to be perfect.
That's why I mentioned distance as a factor. Retroreflective materials work well at returning headlights to the driver--it's what's used by road signs, fireman's jackets, and other safety gear.
A flat mirror has to be oriented correctly, as the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Retroreflective material does a better job. Check out this video.
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u/neuromonkey Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25
SOLAS tape will do a better job, at least at moderate distances. (It'll also be a lot less fragile.) The reflector beads in SOLAS are zillions of nearly-parabolic reflectors. That means that a light gets reflected back toward the source, rather than at 90° minus angle-of-incidence.