Driving without passenger door mirror?

[Pothole]

Dogwatch said:

Italian plod used to have a field day with UK registered cars as they only came with a driver’s side mirror, I.e on the right. However Italian law mandated a mirror on the left, for their drivers. Cue traffic ticket for grumpy tourist.

of course they did.

[jon66]

The requirement to have more than 1 mirror (for cars) only appllies to vehicles first used after August 1978

Prior to this ths ONLY requirement is that there is 1 mirror which provides a clear rearwards view. This can be fitted on either the N/S or O/S externally, OR it can be fitted internally provided it gives an unobscured view.

From 1978 onwards the requirement is that there are a minimum of 2 mirrors fitted (and operational), one of which MUST be fitted to provide a view along the offside of the vehicle.

[2Btoo]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Many new trucks don't have any mirrors, just cameras?

I know that cameras never used to be a legal alternative and people for retrofitted rear view cameras in place of mirrors had to be nice to their MOT tester once a year for their cars to pass. The fact that they seem to have gone much more mainstream may mean that the law has been changed.

[donkmeister]

2Btoo said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Many new trucks don't have any mirrors, just cameras?

I know that cameras never used to be a legal alternative and people for retrofitted rear view cameras in place of mirrors had to be nice to their MOT tester once a year for their cars to pass. The fact that they seem to have gone much more mainstream may mean that the law has been changed.

The requirements may have changed to allow cameras, but there are at least two key differences besides that:
1) The trucks with cameras have to carry clip on mirrors to cover the eventuality of the camera system failing (no logistics company wants their lorries stranded instead of out earning money either so it's in their interests to carry them)
2) the trucks are type-approved with the cameras rather than being modified with an eBay aftermarket special.

That isn't to say someone couldn't engineer a better, more reliable system than the trucks, but I doubt a home-gamer could get it type approved simply due to the effort and cost making it untenable.

[Bennet]

That must be quite annoying when you can't just move your head to see a different angle.

[kylos27]

donkmeister said:

Pontoneer said:

From memory , it depends on the age of the vehicle : up to some time around the late fifties , early sixties , no exterior mirrors were required ; from that point an offside mirror was a requirement for all new cars registered in the UK ; it then changed again sometime around the late seventies/early eighties ( I can remember my 1975 Mercedes 280E having only a drivers side mirror when I bought it , and I paid the then shocking sum of around £120 at the dealership buying the correct passenger side mirror ) ; within a few years it became mandatory to have two exterior mirrors , but I'm not sure of the exact date ; my poverty spec 1982 190E had both mirrors , which I don't think it would have had it not been compulsory since the original owner bought it with steel wheels , wind up windows , cloth seats , no armrest etc etc ; it was still a good car and a very early 190 .

I'm happy to be corrected but I'm sure I remember some mega-povvo-spec cars coming with a door mirror on the driver's side only as late as the 1990s - I want to say the Fiat Panda/Seat Marbella and possibly some of the smaller Citroens and Peugeots.

Correct at least 1991 in the case of the k10 micro

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1327322

[J__Wood]

I'm probably being very dim here but doesn't the link to the GOV.UK site state:
Vehicle - date first used - Cars and dual purpose vehicles - after 26 January 2010
External (offside) - yes
External (nearside) - yes
Internal - yes
?

[oyster]

Pica-Pica said:

.. and the Honda-e

Edited by Pica-Pica on Thursday 15th July 17:41

What ‘problem’ is being solved by that?

[4rephill]

oyster said:

Pica-Pica said:

.. and the Honda-e

Edited by Pica-Pica on Thursday 15th July 17:41

What ‘problem’ is being solved by that?

Reduced aero-drag - Improving fuel economy.

Reduced wind noise issues (That's going to seriously pi$$ drivers off in a silent electric car - Along with tyre roar)

Removal of a large external protrusion from the vehicle - Reducing the risk of impact to cyclists/pedestrians/other vehicles.

Removal of blind-spot issues.

Easier to include "vehicle approaching warning" technology.

Reduced risk of vandal damage due to drunks/vandals ripping door mirrors off.

(Had it done to my car one Christmas! - And I know of a road in the City where I live, where cars parked at the road side are for ever having their door mirrors ripped off on the pavement side, due to drunks/vandals)

Prevents Crows/Magpies from sitting on the door mirror and attacking their own reflection in the mirror, wrecking the glass (had that happen in our works car park. Had to replace the mirror glass due to all the pecking marks on the glass - Stupid ba$tard birds! )

Edited by 4rephill on Sunday 25th July 13:49