Drive without internal rear view mirror

berrypendel

I saw a car in a park without an internal rear view mirror and I just wondered is it illegal to drive with out one. Just a curiosity

ScouseMouse

Not sure but I drive a van with bulkhead so a mirror would show A steel wall!

Kevin3

ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND USE OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS, 1963. http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1963/en/si/0190.html#zzsi190y1963a26

Driving mirrors.
26. (1) Every vehicle shall, subject to the provisions of sub-articles (2) and (3) of this article, be equipped with a rear-view driving mirror of adequate dimensions and so constructed and fitted as to enable the driver while seated in the driving seat to obtain an adequate view of the road to the rear of the vehicle.

(2) Every passenger vehicle constructed or adapted to carry more than eight persons exclusive of the driver and every station wagon and goods vehicle shall, subject to the provisions of sub-article (3) of this article, be equipped with two rear-view driving mirrors of adequate dimensions, one of which shall be fitted externally on the right side of the vehicle and the other of which shall be fitted either internally or externally on the left side, and the mirrors shall be so fitted and constructed as to enable the driver while seated in the driving seat to obtain an adequate view of traffic to the rear and on both sides rearwards.

(3) Sub-articles (1) and (2) of this article shall not apply to—

(a) a bicycle,
(b) a pedestrian-controlled vehicle,
(c) a vehicle when drawing a trailer, if a person is carried on the trailer in a position which affords an uninterrupted view to the rear and such person is provided with an efficient means of communicating to the driver the import of signals given by the drivers of other vehicles to the rear,
(d) a works truck from which the driver can easily obtain a clear view of traffic to the rear.
(4) Every driving mirror with which a vehicle is equipped in accordance with the provisions of sub-articles (1) and (2) of this article shall—

(a) be firmly secured to the vehicle,
(b) be adjustable,
(c) be so designed that it maintains its position despite the normal vibrations of the vehicle,
(d) have a reflecting surface which retains its properties despite atmospheric conditions and fatigue,
(e) be plane or slightly convex,
(f) show a reflected image free from substantial distortion,
(g) be such that the appearance of colours reflected by its surface is not modified to such an extent as to cause confusion in identifying the colours of traffic lights.

As far as I can tell there must be a rear view mirror. Only vehicles adapted to carry more than eight persons exclusive of the driver, station wagons and goods vehicles are required to have two side mirrors.

Kevin3

Looking at the NCT manual (http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf) at page 27 it requires two side mirrors for hatchbacks as well as estates (station wagons) but I'm not sure why.

In the Act a station wagon is defined as:

"station wagon" includes station wagons, estate cars and other similar vehicles which are constructed or adapted for alternative purposes (including the carriage of one or more passengers) and which are fitted with seats, whether rigid, collapsible or detachable, in the area to the rear of the driver's seat.

Stheno

My car failed the nct a couple of years ago as the internal rear view mirror was not there.

coylemj

Lads, if we're going to go to the bother of looking up the NCT Manual, can we please quote all of the relevant details....

NCT Manual: Section 11, Page 27 .....

1 Estate and hatchback cars are required to be fitted with an exterior rear view mirror on each side of the vehicle.

2. All other vehicles should be fitted with an internal rear view mirror.

3. Where a vehicle does not have two exterior mirrors, there must be clear evidence on the day that the vehicle was originally fitted with two exterior mirrors or it cannot be failed on this point. If there is any doubt, the benefit of the doubt must be given to the vehicle owner.

4. A vehicle must not be failed on mirrors fitted in addition to the legally required mirrors.

Kevin3

coylemj wrote: »

Lads, if we're going to go to the bother of looking up the NCT Manual, can we please quote all of the relevant details....

NCT Manual: Section 11, Page 27 .....

1 Estate and hatchback cars are required to be fitted with an exterior rear view mirror on each side of the vehicle.

2. All other vehicles should be fitted with an internal rear view mirror.

3. Where a vehicle does not have two exterior mirrors, there must be clear evidence on the day that the vehicle was originally fitted with two exterior mirrors or it cannot be failed on this point. If there is any doubt, the benefit of the doubt must be given to the vehicle owner.

4. A vehicle must not be failed on mirrors fitted in addition to the legally required mirrors.

The fact that other vehicles must have a rear view mirror was established from Article 26 of the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963.

I was only raising the NCT manual because it also makes a requirement for hatchbacks to have two side mirrors even though they shouldn't appear to require them going by the regulation.

coylemj

Kevin3 wrote: »

The fact that other vehicles must have a rear view mirror was established from Article 26 of the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963.

I was only raising the NCT manual because it also makes a requirement for hatchbacks to have two side mirrors even though they shouldn't appear to require them going by the regulation.

Appreciate the point you're making but I think for most of us, the NCT manual is the only game in town. The regulations of course should take precedence but the NCT test centre people go by the published manual and anyway, I'll bet there have been wholesale changes to the regulations since 1963. Keeping track of them is very difficult as they are Statutory Instruments so can get signed off by the minister with usually very little or no public debate to alert us to the changes.

Edit: I just checked the Irish Statutebook website and if you search SIs (by unticking 'Acts') for 'road traffic construction' you get new regulations in almost every year since 1963 - three in 1991 alone, all called Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/

If I was you I'd forget trying to keep track of the regulations, someone in the DoT has the job and they write the NCT manual.

Kevin3

coylemj wrote: »

Appreciate the point you're making but I think for most of us, the NCT manual is the only game in town. The regulations of course should take precedence but the NCT test centre people go by the published manual and anyway, I'll bet there have been wholesale changes to the regulations since 1963. Keeping track of them is very difficult as they are Statutory Instruments so can get signed off by the minister with usually very little or no public debate to alert us to the changes.

Fair enough. Would love to know how hatchbacks got thrown in though.

coylemj

Kevin3 wrote: »

Fair enough. Would love to know how hatchbacks got thrown in though.

Be my guest...

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ResultsSITitle.html?q=road+traffic+construction&Simple_Search=SIs

Kevin3

Feck that, I use Westlaw Actually I think I've found the answer. The oxford dictionary defines an estate car as:

noun
British
a car with a large carrying area behind the seats, accessed by a door at the rear.

This can include hatchbacks I suppose as it's a door to the rear.