MIRRORS!

[STEVEBREACH]

I drive on the M4,for work regularly,and am amazed at the amount of people who tow expensive vans with no mirrors fitted,well ,the Police seem to be doing somethiing about it hereabouts as I saw a Police car with the dreaded words in his rear window FOLLOW ME,so 4 by 4 drivers beware,you will get caught

 

[Damian]

Quote " ,so 4 by 4 drivers beware,you will get caught2

it is not just 4x4 vehicles which do not use mirrors so please lets not go down the 4x4 knocking route ........again, or the topic WILL be deleted.

 

[otherclive]

Owning two 4x4 (ie wide cars) I would feel really uncomfortable towing without extension mirrors as the extra flexibility and safety that you obtain is far greater than just using the 'elephant tabs' provided by Volvo and Mitsubishi!!!!

 

[NigelHutson]

It's about time that legislation was made simple, and the law becomes "if you tow a caravan, you will fit mirrors". It would solve lots of problems.
I've lost count of the number of vehicles that I've towed with (touring, and at the Tow Car Awards), but it must be several hundred now, and I cannot think of one where rear vision wasn't improved by fitting the mirrors.

 

[Raywood]

I do not understand people who drive without extension mirrors and actualy carry an old one as a spare for emergencies. It is about time the Police took action against the idiots who think they can do without.

 

[MrBell]

Yeah I'm the same I don't understand why people take the chance! I did my trailer test and they drill it in your, mirrors are important!!
Surely people who don't have mirrors on their car can't see everything behind them?

 

[Red_Mick]

It's not just caravanners, farmers with box trailers, burger vans and lots of others should
be using them, but rarely do.

 

[RogerL]

I do not understand people who drive without extension mirrors and actualy carry an old one as a spare for emergencies. It is about time the Police took action against the idiots who think they can do without.

Sadly, road policing has been all but abandoned in the UK - the politicians make plenty of laws but never allocate enough money to enforce them.
Of course, the law-abiding majority stay within the law whenever they can but the others just put two fingers up!

 

[MichaelE]

Surely they are to aid vision, but if you can see down the side of a caravan then they are not required?

 

[ProfJohnL]

This topic seems to return to the forum from time to time, but its really quite simple.

You need to be able to see the length of both sides of the vehicle, and to a width of vehicle + 4m at both side at a distance of 20M behind the driver. That applies to all vehicles.

When towing any trailer the same applies to the combined outfit.

With small garden trailers most car mirrors will do, but with any trailer that's wider than the tow vehicle, the standard mirrors will not do, and extension mirrors will be necessary.

 

[RogerL]

Surely they are to aid vision, but if you can see down the side of a caravan then they are not required?

To see down the side of the caravan, the mirrors MUST extend beyond the width of the caravan - that's basic geometry.
I'm not aware of any passenger vehicle where the standard door mirrors reach beyond 2.3 metres, the normal caravan width.

 

[MichaelE]

Not everyone will have 7 6 caravans , i still caravan with friends who's van is 7 foot towed by a RR and he can see perfectly down the side of his van

 

[RogerL]

Not everyone will have 7 6 caravans , i still caravan with friends who's van is 7 foot towed by a RR and he can see perfectly down the side of his van

A 7' 0" caravan is 2.134m wide - the current Range Rover is just 2.073m over the mirrors and the previous Range Rover was 2.034m over the mirrors.
So perfect vision ?

 

[MichaelE]

Actually the width of the new RR is 2220mm mirrors out, the figure you quote is with the mirrors folded in so the answer is yes.

 

[chrisbee1]

Once again the topic of towing mirrors seems to degenerate into a discussion about what towers can get away with because their vehicle just scrapes into the regulations. I don't understand why you would spend upwards of £60000 on a car and then risk bending it for the sake of £40 worth of towing mirrors. The more I can see, the better. Personally, I have Grand Aeros fitted with small wide angle mirrors on top plus a camera on the rear of the 'van. (And yes, it's a 4x4)

 

[otherclive]

Not everyone will have 7 6 caravans , i still caravan with friends who's van is 7 foot towed by a RR and he can see perfectly down the side of his van

A 7' 0" caravan is 2.134m wide - the current Range Rover is just 2.073m over the mirrors and the previous Range Rover was 2.034m over the mirrors.
So perfect vision ?

noted but does it meet the legal vision requiremnts as detailed by Prof John in his earlier post?

 

[ProfJohnL]

noted but does it meet the legal vision requiremnts as detailed by Prof John in his earlier post?

I think your concern is probably well founded.

 

[RogerL]

noted but does it meet the legal vision requiremnts as detailed by Prof John in his earlier post?

I think your concern is probably well founded.

Otherclive actually posted that line.

I don't see how adequate vision can occur unless the mirrors extend beyond the width of the caravan - which for 99% of car/caravan combinations means towing mirrors!

 

[Royston]

I have always fitted towing mirrors to both the near and offside mirrors.
With the nearside extended mirror correctly fitted you should be able to see quite clearly the distance between the end of your van and the nose of the vehicle you have overtaken, to enable you to safely pull over into the same lane ,also you get a very clear rear vision of the vehicles joining the road from your left.
With the offside extended mirror fitted, I have it set so that I can clearly see Past the van and vehicles in the overtaking lane.
My standard car mirrors near and offside , when towing I have them zoned onto the wheels of the van, very handy for manovering around some tight kerbstones and traffic islands.
I am convinced that some fellow caravaners fit towing mirrors to comply with the law but whether they can see out of them beggers believe.
Royston

 

[NigelHutson]

noted but does it meet the legal vision requiremnts as detailed by Prof John in his earlier post?

I think your concern is probably well founded.

Otherclive actually posted that line.

I don't see how adequate vision can occur unless the mirrors extend beyond the width of the caravan - which for 99% of car/caravan combinations means towing mirrors!

And realistically that means that the inner edge of the mirror glass is at least at the outer width of the caravan. If the caravan obscures half of the mirror, then you will not be able to see the sides of the caravan as required.

 

[NigelHutson]

*

 

[Raywood]

At the end of the day the simple proposition is do you want to risk three points on your licence a fine of may be £200 and an increase in your insurance premium just to save £30 to 50 on a pair of wing mirrors. I know what my answer is others may think it is worth the risk. Even if your position is borderline why take the risk for so amall an outlay.

 

[Surfer]

At the end of the day the simple proposition is do you want to risk three points on your licence a fine of may be £200 and an increase in your insurance premium just to save £30 to 50 on a pair of wing mirrors. I know what my answer is others may think it is worth the risk. Even if your position is borderline why take the risk for so amall an outlay.

Isn't the fine a maximum of £1000?

 

[Raywood]

Not sure what the maximum fine is but given the fines actualy handed out for other motoring offences this feels about right but I have never heard of anyone actualy convicted.

 

[curlyboy]

Interesting discussion, but I am having difficulty finding suitable mirrors for my unit....a Hymer caravan 8ft wide and a Mercedes ML350 tug, I have tried several mirrors but cant quite see the full length of the caravan, am I not adjusting them correctly?
curlyboy