Information you should know about Towing Mirrows
The equipment you use with your trailer or caravan must meet certain safety standards.
You must have an adequate view of the road behind you. If your caravan or trailer is wider than the rear of the towing vehicle, you may need to fit suitable towing mirrors. If you tow without proper towing mirrors you can be:
1. prosecuted by the police
2. given 3 points on your licence
3. fined up to £1,000
Laws on Towing Mirror requirments
Have you ever looked into the law on towing mirrors? If you have you may be shocked to find that almost half of caravanners either don't know the law or totally disregard this essential safety rule.
Many caravanners treat towing mirrors as a caravan accessory that they are able to do without, however the law says differently. Extension mirrors should not protrude more than 250mm (roughly 10") beyond the widest part of the caravan. There is a legal requirement of you to have mirrors so that you are able see clearly an area that is 4 meters wide out into the carriageway on the offside, and along the kerb to the nearside and for a distance of 20 meters behind the driver. A caravan is significantly wider than a car even a large 4x4 and you just can't adhere to the law if you don't fit towing mirrors.
Drivers of larger tow cars and 4x4's may think that they are OK because they can shift their mirrors so that they incorporate some rearward vision but whatever they see just isn't good enough.
What mirrors should be fitted?
The law demands two functional rear view mirrors. There has to be one on the offside and one internally. Most cars are equipped with a nearside mirror as well since when towing, the interior mirror isn't a lot of use because all one can see is the caravan following you. It therefore follows that you need two external mirrors to conform to the law. It's highly unlikely that any towed caravan will not need extended mirrors so, to be legal and safe it is advisable always to fit extended mirrors when towing regardless, unless you are absolutely sure that you are adhering to the law. Better safe than sorry when stopped by the Police!
It is advised that all towing mirrors comply to EC requirments.An E number should be displayed on the mirror to prove that they are EC compliant and therefore legal. It is recommended that the offside mirror should to be flat glass, so that speed and distance of approaching traffic can be accurately assessed. The
Milenco Flat Glass Twin Pack Towing Mirrors are advertised to be the worlds best performing towing mirror and are E marked. The nearside mirror may be convex. The
Milenco Aero Convex Mirror has a unique clamping system which is engineered to fit all current cars, 4x4's and vans and is E marked.
Always remove your towing mirrors after pitching if you are going to take the car off the site
You must remember to get rid of the mirrors when you're not towing. If you don't, they will extend beyond 250mm from the side of the car, therefore aren't legal.
And finally
It's a legal requirement for you to fit additional towing mirrors when you are towing your caravan or any other trailer which is wider than the narrowest portion of the rear of your vehicle. Should you be towing blind, without towing mirrors, or using illegal towing mirrors (not E-marked), you can be prosecuted.
