Door Mirrors: Legal Reqiurement

greyc

Just wondering if anyone can tell me where exactly in the Road Traffic Act are door mirrors mentioned. I've searched the RSA website, and while they mention mirrors on HGVs, I can't find anything on cars.
Is it a legal requirement to have a left hand door mirror on your vehicle?
I'm almost sure that I read somewhere that there is no legal requirement, but a friend says I'm wrong.
Can someone settle a bet, ideally with exact reference to the Act and not just a personal opinion.

Midnight_EG

greyc wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone can tell me where exactly in the Road Traffic Act are door mirrors mentioned. I've searched the RSA website, and while they mention mirrors on HGVs, I can't find anything on cars.
Is it a legal requirement to have a left hand door mirror on your vehicle?
I'm almost sure that I read somewhere that there is no legal requirement, but a friend says I'm wrong.
Can someone settle a bet, ideally with exact reference to the Act and not just a personal opinion.

I don't know if you have to, but common sense should tell you that you need it to check blind-spots and for pulling out/reversing...

Stheno

http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf

Page 27 of the above indicates that a missing rear view mirror is a fail on the NCT?

mickdw

For many years cars were sold with only drivers side wing mirror & internal rear view mirror. I dont think that there is still any requirement for passenger side one

greyc

Stheno wrote: »

http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf

Page 27 of the above indicates that a missing rear view mirror is a fail on the NCT?

It appears from reading the NCT guidelines that estates/hatchbacks must have 2 outside mirrors, but saloons don't, however if any car doesn't have an outside mirror as standard then that's ok. Are the NCT guidelines actual law, ie could you be prosecuted for not having a LH mirror

A couple of years ago a friend of mine did her driving test in a 1990 Suzuki Alto which only had a drivers side mirror fitted as standard, and the tester made no remarks about it. I wonder though if you turned up for test in a car with a broken left hand mirror would they take you out.

slimjimmc

greyc wrote: »

It appears from reading the NCT guidelines that estates/hatchbacks must have 2 outside mirrors, but saloons don't, however if any car doesn't have an outside mirror as standard then that's ok. Are the NCT guidelines actual law, ie could you be prosecuted for not having a LH mirror

A couple of years ago a friend of mine did her driving test in a 1990 Suzuki Alto which only had a drivers side mirror fitted as standard, and the tester made no remarks about it. I wonder though if you turned up for test in a car with a broken left hand mirror would they take you out.

All the NCT criteria and requirements are prescribed by law, so they're not guidelines they are legal requirements in order to pass the test.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ResultsTitle.html?q=national+car+test&search_type=all&button=Search

challengemaster

slimjimmc wrote: »

All the NCT criteria and requirements are prescribed by law, so they're not guidelines they are legal requirements.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ResultsTitle.html?q=national+car+test&search_type=all&button=Search

Considering how the NCT and actual Road traffic laws tend to disagree with one another on several things, one being noise, I wouldn't consider the NCT to be an indicator of legal requirements.

R.O.R

mickdw wrote: »

For many years cars were sold with only drivers side wing mirror & internal rear view mirror. I dont think that there is still any requirement for passenger side one

My first car - a 1983 Toyota Starlet, only had a drivers side wing mirror.

My second car, a 1986 MG Metro did have a passenger door mirror, but it wasn't fixed on properly so vibrated so much it was useless. Ah, BL quality control :pac:

Victor

greyc wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone can tell me where exactly in the Road Traffic Act are door mirrors mentioned.

They're not. It would be in the vehicle construction regulations.

If it was part of the original vehicle design / construction, you will need it for the NCT.

slimjimmc

challengemaster wrote: »

Considering how the NCT and actual Road traffic laws tend to disagree with one another on several things, one being noise, I wouldn't consider the NCT to be an indicator of legal requirements.

NCT Manual Item No 54

Exhaust Pipe
1 Badly mounted or liable to fall off.
Silencer
2 Missing or not functioning.
3 Badly mounted or liable to fall off.
4 Serious leaks.
5 Vehicle exhaust noise has reached or exceeded a specified level of 99dB(A).
Exhaust Assembly
6 Possibility of fire being caused by leaks or broken components.

SI 0567/2009

Item 54: exhaust system/noise
Reasons for refusal:
(1) exhaust pipe is badly mounted or is liable to fall off.
silencer:-
(2) is missing or is not functioning.
(3) is badly mounted or likely to fall off.
(4) has serious leaks.
(5) vehicle exhaust noise has reached or exceeded a specified level of 99db.
(6) a risk of fire is present because of leaks or broken components in exhaust assembly.

where's the discrepency, even the test item number is the same?