Mirrors -EU 2003/97

[G-CPTN]

The new EU directive to retrofit all vehicles first registered after January 1 2000. The regulation stipulates that all vehicles over 3.5 tons need to be fitted with new wide angle (class IV) and kerb mirrors (class V), that meet with the new legislation, by the 31 march 2009, this is in addition to the front view mirror introduced in January 2007. The new directive improves the driver’s visibility of pedestrians or cyclists when the vehicle is making left turn (right hand drive vehicles) or right turn (left hand drive vehicles). Planned annual service times are the perfect time to have the mirrors fitted.

EU 2003/97 specifications:-

Class IV (4) - Wide angle mirror.
Class V (5) - Kerb View Mirror usually above the passenger door.
Class VI (6) - Front mounted wide View Mirror.

Acceptable radius is 300mm of your mirror glass - this will give you compliant field of view from your seat.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...03L0097:EN:NOT

[Dingbat]

i believe there is more information to F.T.A member,s on their web site.www.fta.co.uk .regard,s p.s there was an article about this subject in trucking mag.,last november.let,s hope it doe,s improve road safety ,and not just another e.u. money maker.

[robertdavey6]

Originally Posted by trucker 2

i believe there is more information to F.T.A member,s on their web site.www.fta.co.uk .regard,s p.s there was an article about this subject in trucking mag.,last november.let,s hope it doe,s improve road safety ,and not just another e.u. money maker.

One of our vehicle's has just been done and the driver thinks it has made things WORSE not better. He claims the view in the mirror is so distorted, due to the convex curve needed to comply, that he dare not rely on it!

Whether his opinion might change over time, as he get's used to it....... We'll just have to wait and see.

[Dingbat]

i think a couple of year ago .there was a debate about the positioning of the wing mirror,s on the driver,s side.?wether it was better for the small wide angled,mirror .should it be at the top or bottom of the main mirror.i never did find the out come of that debate.as there is still split opinions on that one.regards.

[G-CPTN]

I suppose it depends on whether the images are 'near' / 'close' or 'far' / 'distant'. I'd expect the distant image one to be at eye level (where the driver is looking ahead) and the close image at the height of the instrument panel.
Of course, if you swapped them then any changes might be more noticeable . . .