RV FEATURE
Police around Australia are now, more than
ever, enforcing the law concerning safe towing.
And from a police officer’s point of view, a lack
of tow mirrors is a dead giveaway of a non-
compliant towing setup. Caravanners without
mirrors should expect to be pulled over,
especially in country areas where police are
specifically on the lookout for non-compliant
caravan/vehicle combinations.
Sergeant Graeme Shenton of Victoria Police
said individual officers had their own ways of
assessing the suitability of the tow vehicle’s
mirrors when deciding whether or not to pull
over a driver for further inspection.
“If I’m driving behind a caravan and I want to
check if the driver has suitable rear vision, I’ll
try to give myself a field of vision straight down
the side of the caravan from behind,” Sergeant
Shenton said. “And as
long as I can see his
mirror, I know the
driver can
see me.”
THE FINE
A caravanner with insufficient rearward vision
can expect a fine in Victoria of $238. According
to Sergeant Shenton, this fine is comparable
around the country for the same offence.
The best advice for caravanners who’ve
neglected to fit tow mirrors, Sergeant Shenton
told GoRV, was to be honest about their
reasons – police are never impressed by
uncooperative drivers. In instances where
the driver can show they’ve made an effort
to ‘do the right thing’ but have still failed to
be compliant, there’s a chance the officer will
issue a warning rather than a fine – police have
some discretion in these matters.
“It’s all about making the effort and having
the right attitude towards doing the right
thing,” he said. “The police aren’t out there
trying to nab everyone, we’ll always listen, so
it’s all about the driver’s attitude and effort
towards understanding their responsibilities.”
Sergeant Shenton said one method police
employed to determine if a tow vehicle’s mirror
setup was sufficient was to open the passenger
and driver windows and measure through
the driver’s cab, from the widest point of one
mirror to the widest point of the other. If that
measurement exceeded the width of the
widest point of the caravan, the mirrors
would usually be deemed compliant.
The Milenco Grand Aero mirrors provide
good rear vision and don't blow inwards.
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gorv.com.au