Roadside mirrors

Fogmatic

The convex ones that enable drivers to pull out safely from blind entrances, etc. I don't know what they're called? (My searches just got stuff about mirrors in/on cars).

I want one of these - what's the procedure for getting one? Do the powers that be provide them (if so, which powers?), or do we buy our own (if so, where?).

This was the only vaguely relevant forum I could find.

L1011

Buy you own. The council don't provide them and I wouldn't ask them either as it'd raise questions about the entrance's suitability...

"convex mirror" or "safety mirror" would be the terms to search for:

http://www.uk-safetymirrors.co.uk/safety-mirrors/safety-mirrors_convex.htm

thats the first result. no idea if its in any way cheap or even ships here mind.

Fogmatic

Thanks for the link Myob. They do ship here, but I think I'll shop around! (armed with your info).
I'm sure I've seen the mirrors in Ireland, opposite private entrances I mean (not only the general road-safety ones on bends).

We tied an ordinary indoor convex mirror about 6ft up an Eircom pole across the road once and it worked a treat, though smaller than the safety ones (the experiment lasted till the next bit of Donegal weather!).

Re the council, I don't think suitability would come into it in this case; if we have an entrance, it's a 100ft wide one. The problem is the ups & downs of the road (someone has to go out & stand on the road to see cars out, as drivers aren't high enough to see into a nearby dip).
Where the council might be involved is re finding out who to ask permission from to erect it.

hardCopy

If you ask permission they may have to say no. if you say nothing they'll probably ignore it

veryangryman

hardCopy wrote: »

If you ask permission they may have to say no. if you say nothing they'll probably ignore it

Yep, democracy at work there my friend.

TeddyTedson

Just put in your own private traffic lights. When you want to drive out, you press a button and off you go.

veryangryman

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Just put in your own private traffic lights. When you want to drive out, you press a button and off you go.

Hmmm... a mirror would probably be slightly cheaper.

99 times out of 100 those private entrances are out the country/low trafficked areas. If thats the case here, lights would be overkill.

Mirror plus a good look left and right while edging out should do the trick

Fogmatic

Yes, all it needs is a mirror, though the guerilla-traffic lights idea does suit the ideas we've toyed with in the past here (road markings added/removed, speed humps, toll booth.....).
Mainly out of curiosity about how long it would take the council to realise that the council hadn't done it.

niloc1951

Fogmatic wrote: »

................ about how long it would take the council to realise that the council hadn't done it.

About as long as it takes them to realise that the flood on a section of road or oil spill has long since evaporated :D

murphym7

You could always just knock on the door of someone who has one up outside their house.

Fogmatic

I know, but there aren't any locally, and we only seem to see them when rushing for a plane, ferry etc!

Fozzie Bear

Caulfield Industrial in Galway sell these mirrors, (091) 795000.

They are on page 618 of their 2010 catalogue, sizes 12, 18, 26, 30 and 36" available. 12" is around 35quid and the 36" is E140

Fogmatic

Thanks for that, Fozzie. They seem quite reasonable too (the one that worked for us before was only about 18").