Rear mounted mirror use?

This is a bit OT for the Tacoma World forums, but here goes:

We just got back from a Kenya safari (do it!) and spent about 2 weeks in a modified Land Cruiser. Tough truck. One thing we noticed is that a lot of the vans had what appear to be outside rear-view mirrors mounted above the back doors, facing forward. I asked our driver why, but he said all of the vehicles in Kenya are imported, as is, and he didn't know the reason why these mirrors appeared on some vehicles.

Any idea why some Asians mount these mirrors on the backs of their cars? All I can figure is that you could adjust it so you could look straight down on the bumper to see how close to a wall you are getting.

 

That’s exactly why - to see the rear of the vehicle.

Same reason you see them on logistics company vehicles - UPS, FedEx, OnTrac, delivery trucks, etc.