Towing mirrors

[Craigyoung]

There seems to be a few people at the minute not using towing mirrors when towing caravans I've noticed , only last week I was running home from work and a van passed me with a twin axle on the back not using towing mirrors and then yesterday whilst driving through Sunderland city centre , a VW Passat people carrier pulling a large Bailey's loaded up to the hilt could barely see the back tyres pulling away from traffic lights through the town centre with no towing mirrors and I thought there's no way I'd be going through a town centre with no mirrors on especially when you can't see the back-end when doing turns. I think people are to relaxed at the minute and think they can get away with it. If she'd been beside me at the traffic lights I would have said something.

Craig

 

[CustardAvenger]

Yep. Seen my share of cars with no towing mirrors recently too. Benefit of the doubt? Some people may have forgotten them when picking up a caravan from storage or wherever and risked the drive home and some may not need them... But I really think that nobody cares about anything anymore. People drive like complete you-know-whats when solo so why not when towing? Ignorance, apathy, entitlement or lack of police presence?

 

[Craigyoung]

Mmm ! Benefit of the doubt ; possibly but I always leave my towing mirrors in the caravan, not at home so there's no ever chance of me towing without my mirrors on , only time I have done this is when my passenger one come off in motion on the A19 but was going back to the storage yard 3 miles from where I keep it. And it was the 1 day I let my wife put the mirrors on , she had not nipped them up enough .

 

[Thingy]

Quite simply, its illegal

Towing Mirrors - know the law

Do you know the law on towing mirrors? If you do you may be shocked to find that up to half of caravanners either don't know it or totally disregard this essential safety rule. We have been contacted by Milenco, who are a leading manufacturer of caravan safety and security accessories and what they told us seemed so important that we have decided to write a tip page on the subject.

Many caravanners treat towing mirrors as something that they can do without but the law says different. There is a legal requirement for you to have mirrors that allow you to see clearly an area that is 4 metres wide from the side of your caravan at a distance 20 metres behind the driver. A caravan is significantly wider than a car even a large 4x4 and you simply can't comply with the law unless you fit towing mirrors.

Drivers of larger tow cars may think that they are OK because they can adjust their mirrors so that they have some rearward vision but what they see is simply not good enough. See the diagram below for a pictorial explanation of the legal requirement for towing mirrors. Milenco clearly have an axe to grind as they manufacture the required accessory but we feel this goes a little deeper and there is a genuine desire to improve caravan safety. We also have an axe to grind in that we want you to keep safe and make less claims. This is therefore part of our program of educated self interest. If we can make you aware of your legal requirements and persuade you to go out and spend £20 or £30 on a pair of towing mirrors we might save you from prosecution, and make you less likely to make a claim and who knows perhaps save someone's life.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Quite simply, its illegal

Not quite true!!

I know its a detail ,but the law only requires you to have the specified field of view , it does not say you must use towing mirrors, if your standard mirrors do provide the view. BUT as the article correctly points out its highly unlikely standard mirrors will provide the required view so towing mirrors are all most always necessary.

 

[Thingy]

Exactly, and even the largest 4x4 will not give the required field of vision making most vehicles without mirrors illegal.

 

[Anseo]

I'm with Craigyoung on this one.

Store the extending mirrors in the caravan, pretty difficult to forget them when you need them .

 

[Raywood]

As someone who carries spare mirrors I cannot understand the idiots who ignore the law on this and risk problems and prosecution.
Looking at the initial post the van might be within the law if you are looking at one of the wider ones like the Transit but the Passat would not be and should have been stopped. Basically the Police could say the outfit was illegal and prevent the driver taking it anywhere until mirrors were fitted, although presumably they would escort it to a safe parking place.
Do remember if an outfit is illegal then it is illegal to take it any further until the problem is rectified.
There was a report in the press some time back of Police checks on caravans at a motorway services and illegal or unsafe outfits and those where the driver did not have the correct licence were prevented from traveling further.

 

[ProfJohnL]

As someone who carries spare mirrors I cannot understand the idiots who ignore the law on this and risk problems and prosecution.

I agree Ray, and not to mention speeding, using a mobile phone whilst driving, using seat belts, Loose children on in the car, and still there are those who drink and drive or use drugs. Its not just mirrors, where the law is clear,

But also and becasue there have been no high profile cases the same mentality applies equally to weight and loading issues.

 

[Beehpee]

All of the points mentioned as well as the mirrors such as speeding, mobile phones etc etc are obviously illegal but with the police being so under resourced the chances of getting pulled are far less than a few years ago, in my job I average approx 35 - 40k miles annually, I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone get pulled over for violations of this type, you hardly ever see a patrol car nowadays let alone checkpoints, it must be a year or two since I saw HGV,s getting waived into laybyes and then directed to the weighbridge, there’s a weighbridge near to me that I have to go through to gain access to a companies vans to do work on, the weigh bridge is always deserted. More chance of seeing a pink elephant than getting pulled for no extension mirrors

 

[ProfJohnL]

... More chance of seeing a pink elephant than getting pulled for no extension mirrors

At least with the lack of extension mirrors, the offence is easily spotted, and there can be little doubt about the validity of the accusation. Where as with over loading there may be what seems to be some obvious signs, but it has to be measured to verify the suspicion.

 

[Craigyoung]

Good write up and explanations etc off the law regarding towing mirrors in October edition of practical caravan magazine by Nigel H , excellent piece .

Craig .