Safe Speed Forums

do you have to have one if you have 2 wing mirrors?

In my van I have an utterly pointless one (since you cant see out the back) and in my car I have one of those damn stick on ones that keeps falling off and I would frankly rather not be bothererd with the accursed thing! especially since I am used to driving with wing mirrors and dont really need it.

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

From a driving safety point of view, I urge you not to give up on the internal rear view mirror. It's OK to drive with a couple of good door mirrors when necessary, but it's better to have an internal rear view mirror when possible.

One issue is that something narrow and close behind can't be seen in door mirrors.

Another is that the internal mirror is closer to your normal field of view and this gives two key advantages. The first is that it must take less time to glance in it because it's closer. The second is that it's easier to monitor with your peripheral vision (even if it's just to see headlights or blue lights flashing).

If I had to do a lot of driving now with no central rear view, I'd be inclined to fit a 'video' mirror - you can do it for well under £100 these days.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Yes, you do - by law - unless there is no view through the vehicle (for example, if you have a van with no windows in the rear doors. I can't remember the exact legislation, but I would imagine you'd find the actual requirement in the Construction and Use Regulations 1988 (as amended) - possibly Regulation 33.

HTH,

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Will

Bah!

Out with the glue "Again!"

Has anybody found a mirror sticking kit that actually works!

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Get one of the kits with a 'sun screen' (outside-of-the-windscreen-black-bit) to protect the glue from UV degradation. And clean everything twice with a powerful degreaser before you use the glue. I'd generally use meths.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Hmmn, Does a "Video Mirror" count as a mirror or do you still have to retain the bit of silvererd glass?

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Last time i had that prob used a glue similar to superglue, except that it used UV to set - alternatively - why not try your local windscreen fitter - they might be able to help.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I guess that's open to interpretation! Although I can't find the UK regs online, the Northern Ireland regs seem normally fairly in step with UK, so perhaps you'd like to pick through http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr1999/19990454.htm - section 38 refers to the requirements for mirrors.

ATB,

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Will

Are you sure?

The last time I looked into the regulations you had to have at least two mirrors. One of which had to be on the drivers door. Therefore you could have either internal rearview mirror or passenger side mirror.

Dusty - have a look on here --


http://www.ur-motoring.co.uk/acatalog/g ... _fix_.html


The stuff i used (albeit some years ago )was the "glass bond", but Locktite also do a "LOCTITE REAR VIEW MIRROR BONDER ---Also ideal for glass mounted phone & radio aerials.
Suitable for glass and metal only.
Bonds in minutes.
Clean and easy to use. "--

£2.99

Well thats the text on the site

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I'm reasonably sure. However, the rules changes some time ago (AFAICT, about 1978) and anything manufactured since then has to have an interior rear view mirror unless it would afford no rearward view. The nearside exterior mirror became mandatory unless the interior mirror gives a full view to the rear at (AFAICT) the same time.

However, if you can find the C&U regs 1988, Regulation 33 you should have the definitive answer.

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Will

Yes it is C&U Reg 33 and the requirements are set out in a long and messy table but assuming the van is under 3500kg GVW, the requirements are the same for a car and a van. The minimum is one offside outer mirror and one interior mirror (unless the interior mirror would provide NO rearward vision WAHTSOEVER). It's irritating because it then refers you to the relevant EC Directives for the actual requirements the mirrors have to meet. There are different classes of interior mirror with different characteristics. As a general rule (for the van anyway) if it is a relatively recent (i.e. built in the last 10 years) one that is also available as a chassis-cab, the manufacturer will almost always make sure it can meet the rearward vision requirements on its door mirrors alone (in case a bodybuilder wants to put a "LUTON" box van body on it). Unfortunately, unless that's the case, it stil ldoesn't excuse you from having the interior one.

Cameras are now covered as "Devices for indirect vision" in the Directive but C&U doesn't seem to allow them on vehicles that are currently on the road. I guess if you got stopped and they really wanted to make a meal of it, they'd probably be able to make you take it off even if it was useful and met all the EC requirements!

I was helping out in the church minibus (helping the old ladies into it) and the minister went to move the mirror, he touched it and it dropped off...

I carry an instructors mirror with me in the car. I needed it for my test, and just keep it in the car, I reckon it'll be good if the proper one falls off... Last for a while anyway. Was only about 3.50 in a car shop near me...

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Mike

I have to say I concur with the madness here.

I hired a Luton Transit not that long ago. In the cab, there was a rear view mirror. I can tell you it made me feel so much better being able to see the fire extinguisher, and my leather jacket on the coat hangar at all times whilst driving.

Maybe it was like one of those 3D picture things? If you stare at it for long enough you can see through steel!!!

It was probably just in the Transit cab when it was built. Ford wouldn't have known it was going to be bodied as a Luton van - it might have ended up being a tipper or flat-bed.