Is it still illegal to tow a caravan without towing mirrors? Or has just changed to just advisory? I always have my mirrors on when I tow and just assumed it was common sense as well as law.
Really shocked at the amount of cars that were driving without them on the motorway yesterday. How on earth do these people see to change lanes?
Suggest you all read the highway code you can download it for free
It will tell you how much clear view you need to be able to see behind your caravan it has nothing to do with your car or trailer its down to what you can see
Its also safer to be able to see where your van is in relation to other road users, you may think you are safe but you cant tell without extended mirrors even on a big 4x4 like my jeep
If your caravan or trailer is wider than the rear of the towing vehicle, you must by law fit suitable towing mirrors. These mirrors are usually 'E-marked' (mirrors with this mark meet EU requirements). If you're towing blind (without towing mirrors) or using unsuitable mirrors, you can be: prosecuted by the police given three points on your licence fined up to £1,000.
regards.
------------- Exercise every day and Die Healthy....
josey 60 beat me to it ,its law and there starting to clamp down on it ,and don't forget when the plod pull you over they will check everything else to
Thanks. This confirms what I thought. Just wondered when I passed so many people without them if the law had changed (I wasn't towing at the time) Even if it wasn't law I would continue to use them as without them I'd be dangerous!
I reckon that a lot of people think that as they can see the whole side of the van, they don't need mirror extenders. I did wonder myself, but when extra mirrors are fitted, you can see that car just behind your 'van.
Having front and rear windows in the caravan helps a lot, too. You can still use the rear view mirror to see what is immediately behind you.
I made the mistake of first buying flat (the glass, that is) towing mirrors. The field of vision was terrible and made them almost useless. I changed them for convex, and they are much better, although they still do not add much to the field of view, and wobble more than the standard door mirrors. As a result, I still use the door mirrors a lot while towing, even though I have the towing mirror fitted as well.
ignorance of the law is no excuse if your pulled over ,or indeed involved in a accident because of lack of equipment .
another often overlooked item is tyres ,i have just bought a caravan after a few years break and before i towed it home i purchased two new tyres for it .