Towing and mirrors

[Bodie]

Picked up a motorbike covered trailer today. But have a question about mirrors.

Do I need those awful mirrors that extend out further? Trailer is exactly the same width as the vehicle so no blind spots.

 

[Llanigraham]

Probably.

The requirement is that you can see someone at a specified distance (?25mtrs?) stood centrally behind the trailer.

Whether you'll get stopped for not having them.............................

Is it worth the risk?

[LGM]

Copied from gov.uk

 

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:

• prosecuted by the police
• given 3 points on your licence
• fined up to £1,000

Although your trailer unloaded may have a clear view of whats behind but your bike may then restrict your view? Your rear view mirror will but I cant see it blocking your others. For the sake of it you may aswell put them on, you will pass a cop that thinks nothing of it then get pulled over my a cop who didn't get laid last night and slaps you a ticket. I know for sure I couldn't afford 3 points and/or a £1000 fine.

 

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/towing-equipment-safety-standards

[Volvomeg]

Ill ask tommorow as am doing my trailer training and test this week and pickup and trailer we are using is about same width and were not using mirrors

[Bodie]

Thanks for all comments

[ukcruiser]

If you can see the rear corners of the trailer, you'll be fine - extended mirrors aint going to get you any better view than that! 

 

I have my B+E test (about 5 or 6 years ago now) as i was towing a 1tonne caravan (MAM) with a Kia Sorento (2540kg MAM) so therefore 40kg overweight! 

 

To do your test, you must use a trailer of box construction, have a MAM over 1tonne and have extended mirrors, for use of the examiner. 

 

The test isn't too bad - about an hour - but it's worth doing - we now tow our motorbike, in a twin-axel iFor box (MAM 2700kg) on the back of our motorhome (3500kg MAM) which is the whole trailer's weight outside the B Licence. 

 

Al.