We just had a quick trip to Bathurst from WA and back and noticed at least 4 cars towing vans, admittedly not very big ones, without any extra mirrors at all. It may be legal if the van is only as wide as the car but we couldn't help but wonder how much the drivers could actually see and if they cared at all about who was on the road behind them. In all we took 56 hours to get there and a week to come back as we called in to my mothers at Tumby Bay for a few days on the way back and had to have a look around Pt Lincoln(birthplace) as well. Was amazed by the number of motor bikes on the road both ways, especially 3 wheelers towing trailers.
Ginger said
12:23 AM Mar 21, 2010
I thought the sticker said, "if you cant see my mirrors I cant see you"
jonathan said
07:47 AM Mar 21, 2010
Hi folks ..
I quite agree with that too, Ginger ! .. In the 'eary days' lotsa vans were higher but without the width .. and so the 'standard' mirrors may have worked better. Its interesting to watch some back-up their vans in CP's .. even with a guide to help ..
Jon
(Currently in Peterborough, SA)
Onedodger said
01:59 PM Mar 21, 2010
I do believe in a good set of van mirrors and use mine as well as a camera on the van. However I know of two couples who have vans and insist that they do not need extra mirrors as they can see when someone overtakes them. When I question them on seeing what is behind and hidden by their vans they say that is that drivers worry and not theirs. Their attitude worries me as one of these couples are related. Yes I have quoted the road rules however this does not seem to worry them. And I should add that they have never been queried by the Constabulary.
Smokeydk said
04:22 PM Mar 21, 2010
Lot of vans, CTs towed have the attatch to existing mirrors.mirrors........dont bother..soon as you get passed by an oncoming semi..........the force will rip the vehicles mirrors of the door
goinsoon said
05:33 PM Mar 21, 2010
It's not a case of if but when they get caught by the law in one state or another, the fine they recieve will convince them it would be a good idea to fit towing mirrors.
-- Edited by goinsoon on Monday 22nd of March 2010 08:07:00 AM
Andrea said
08:58 PM Mar 21, 2010
tezza wrote:
Was amazed by the number of motor bikes on the road both ways, especially 3 wheelers towing trailers.
Tezza, those bikers were (mostly) members of the Ulysses Club (over-50s only). About 3500 of them gathered in Albany 815 March for the National AGM. It was apparently an unqualified success for everyone, and injected several million dollars into the local economy.
Cheers
Andrea
(We've now found some room in Albany and are enjoying the beautiful scenery!)
Wombat 280 said
07:34 PM Mar 22, 2010
I'm not sure if extension Mirrors are a compulsory item anymore I think the only legal requirement is to be able to see what's behind you and if we follow the old adage of "Can't see the mirrors I can't see you" then the whole thing about needing extra mirrors becomes subjective and left up to the driver or in the case of an accident the attending copper.
Don't know how much those convex mirrors that attach to the existing mirrors helps in increasing the rear view but you do see a lot of vehicles with them on
Wonker said
01:12 PM Mar 25, 2010
Andrea wrote:
tezza wrote:
Was amazed by the number of motor bikes on the road both ways, especially 3 wheelers towing trailers.
Tezza, those bikers were (mostly) members of the Ulysses Club (over-50s only). About 3500 of them gathered in Albany 815 March for the National AGM. It was apparently an unqualified success for everyone, and injected several million dollars into the local economy.
Cheers
Andrea
(We've now found some room in Albany and are enjoying the beautiful scenery!)
Like Andrea said (motorbikes). I was down at Parry Beach at that time (near Denmark) and driving to/from the areas down there they were everywhere, some beautiful and unusal rigs and trailers. Spoke to a few along the way they were thoroughly enjoying themselves and had perfect weather.
On mirrors, I have the strap onto the existing mirror type and they work for me, if they are put on properly and check the screw tightness now and them they are not a problem. Some car mirrors have weaker push back strength and I think these get blown back by passing trucks etc, but hasn't happened to me (Nissan X'Trail). Even with narrower vans/trailers etc, they are necessary in my opinion, sometimes when looking back in my fixed mirrors it looks like nobody is behind me, then I look in my attached mirrors and there is someone there. If I was turning right or passing something and pulled out as they were overtaking I would have been in big trouble, despite indicators etc which are not always noticed or taken heed of by traffic behind. Just my thoughts.
Delta18 said
12:25 PM Apr 16, 2010
Smokeydk wrote:
Lot of vans, CTs towed have the attatch to existing mirrors.mirrors........dont bother..soon as you get passed by an oncoming semi..........the force will rip the vehicles mirrors of the door
I have towed 000's of kms towing with these type mirrors and seen many many more vehicles with them on and I have never yet seen a vehicle's mirror torn off by using them.
Occasionally with a passing semi and the prevailing wind coming across the road my mirror may be folded back but this is not a big problem, if it were it is not hard to tighten up the pivot screw to reduce the occurrence of it happening.
I only use the mirrors to see what is beside the van as I have a camera on the back to see what is behind me.
I quite agree with that too, Ginger ! .. In the 'eary days' lotsa vans were higher but without the width .. and so the 'standard' mirrors may have worked better.
Its interesting to watch some back-up their vans in CP's .. even with a guide to help ..
Jon
(Currently in Peterborough, SA)
However I know of two couples who have vans and insist that they do not need extra mirrors as they can see when someone overtakes them. When I question them on seeing what is behind and hidden by their vans they say that is that drivers worry and not theirs. Their attitude worries me as one of these couples are related.
Yes I have quoted the road rules however this does not seem to worry them.
And I should add that they have never been queried by the Constabulary.
-- Edited by goinsoon on Monday 22nd of March 2010 08:07:00 AM
Tezza, those bikers were (mostly) members of the Ulysses Club (over-50s only). About 3500 of them gathered in Albany 815 March for the National AGM. It was apparently an unqualified success for everyone, and injected several million dollars into the local economy.
Cheers
Andrea
(We've now found some room in Albany and are enjoying the beautiful scenery!)
I have towed 000's of kms towing with these type mirrors and seen many many more vehicles with them on and I have never yet seen a vehicle's mirror torn off by using them.
Occasionally with a passing semi and the prevailing wind coming across the road my mirror may be folded back but this is not a big problem, if it were it is not hard to tighten up the pivot screw to reduce the occurrence of it happening.
I only use the mirrors to see what is beside the van as I have a camera on the back to see what is behind me.