Stock Box and Wing Mirrors

[Jerry]

I was pulled over by the police today on an A road.

He was not a traffic officer, just a standard officer.

He claimed I was illegal as I did not have extended wing mirrors on my Hilux and as a result had restricted rear view.

(Lights and number plate all fully working and present)

I was some what nonplussed as I have driven for 30 plus years with a stock box of various sizes and never had the need or thought for extended wing mirrors and I dont think I have ever seen a farmer with them fitted either.

He issued a verbal warning but nothing official and said if it had been a proper traffic officer I would have had a ticket.

He also got hot under the collar as my driving license did not match the name on his records for my pickup as that is the business name, thought that was just plain stupid but did not tell him as such.

So are we illegal or not?

 

[neilo]

I suspect he was trying to save face having pulled you over and then not finding anything wrong with lights, etc.

Either that, or he was a twit.

I have never seen a pickup pulling a trailer with extended mirrors on, even when they've been parked on Welshpool bypass being crawled over by plod & VOSA. I've been stopped for a VOSA check elsewhere a couple of times too, and they've never mentioned it either.

 

[Goweresque]

Basically you need to be able to see down the side of the trailer, so if the trailer is wider than the towing vehicle you should have extended mirrors.

 

[Jerry]

Basically you need to be able to see down the side of the trailer, so if the trailer is wider than the towing vehicle you should have extended mirrors.

Thanks for that. I might just print that out and put it in the truck. I can easily see down the side if the trailer.

 

[Tarw Coch]

he was a twit.

You spelt that wrong ?

 

[Muddyroads]

I was pulled over by the police today on an A road.

He was not a traffic officer, just a standard officer.

He claimed I was illegal as I did not have extended wing mirrors on my Hilux and as a result had restricted rear view.

(Lights and number plate all fully working and present)

I was some what nonplussed as I have driven for 30 plus years with a stock box of various sizes and never had the need or thought for extended wing mirrors and I dont think I have ever seen a farmer with them fitted either.

He issued a verbal warning but nothing official and said if it had been a proper traffic officer I would have had a ticket.

He also got hot under the collar as my driving license did not match the name on his records for my pickup as that is the business name, thought that was just plain stupid but did not tell him as such.

So are we illegal or not?

Whereabouts were you Jerry?

 

[TheTallGuy]

I was pulled over by the police today on an A road.

He was not a traffic officer, just a standard officer.

He claimed I was illegal as I did not have extended wing mirrors on my Hilux and as a result had restricted rear view.

(Lights and number plate all fully working and present)

I was some what nonplussed as I have driven for 30 plus years with a stock box of various sizes and never had the need or thought for extended wing mirrors and I dont think I have ever seen a farmer with them fitted either.

He issued a verbal warning but nothing official and said if it had been a proper traffic officer I would have had a ticket.

He also got hot under the collar as my driving license did not match the name on his records for my pickup as that is the business name, thought that was just plain stupid but did not tell him as such.

So are we illegal or not?

Mirrors: https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/trailer-and-towing-equipment & https://www.milenco.com/products/mirrors (towards the end of the page)
License: Your situation is no different to using a hire car, or driving your partners car etc, as long as the vehicle has a legitimate third party insurance policy, there is an insurance policy that covers you to drive and you have the permission of the "owner" to drive the vehicle he has no cause for complaint!

 

[Jerry]

Whereabouts were you Jerry?

On the road between stoke cannon and Tiverton. On way to my ground at Thorverton.

 

[Jerry]

Mirrors: https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/trailer-and-towing-equipment & https://www.milenco.com/products/mirrors (towards the end of the page)
License: Your situation is no different to using a hire car, or driving your partners car etc, as long as the vehicle has a legitimate third party insurance policy, there is an insurance policy that covers you to drive and you have the permission of the "owner" to drive the vehicle he has no cause for complaint!

Exactly. But did not want to rock the boat.

He was moody enough.

 

[S J H]

I thought only bellends, towing caravans used them.

 

[TheTallGuy]

Exactly. But did not want to rock the boat.

He was moody enough.

Best way to get them going is to ask them to quote the relevant regulation that backs up their opinion & then Google it on your phone in front of them... they really love that!

 

[neilo]

You spelt that wrong ?

I didn’t, the profanity filter did.?

 

[Skintagain]

Jobsworth that doesn’t know his onions.

If he had looked hard enough he would have found something proper to get you on. I would have classed myself lucky he didn’t and smiled as I pulled away with no ticket.

 

[Jerry]

Jobsworth that doesn’t know his onions.

If he had looked hard enough he would have found something proper to get you on. I would have classed myself lucky he didn’t and smiled as I pulled away with no ticket.

??

I even had the break away cable properly attached and not just looped around the tow bar....??

 

[deleted user 837354]

And folk wonder why we detest the police?!

Fudging morons with nothing else better to do. Oh look, a farmer with a stock box, easy collar there, time to take down another hardened criminal, wee woo wee woo wee woo....

 

[Skintagain]

??

I even had the break away cable properly attached and not just looped around the tow bar....??

Goody two shoes

 

[Purli R]

And folk wonder why we detest the police?!

Fudging morons with nothing else better to do. Oh look, a farmer with a stock box, easy collar there, time to take down another hardened criminal, wee woo wee woo wee woo....

Take it you"ve been pulled recently

 

[deleted user 837354]

It makes you savage. It honestly does. The OP has stated he has been driving outfits like this for years. EVEN IF he had been breaking the law all that time as he couldn't see down the sides of the trailer, does that really mean he should have the book thrown at him, for a piffling traffic 'violation'? I don't think I could even be bothered to write the details down and process the paperwork.

The police honestly have lost the plot. A simple 'Sir, I don't know if you knew this or not but you need extended mirrors to fully comply with the law' should have sufficed. Instead, no, you get some moronic 'I AM THE LAW' version of Judge Dredd who, like some kind of playground bully: 'i'll get my big brother traffic coppas on you'.

No wonder the country has gone to the dogs, seriously. I give up. These are grown adults that have I presume had to pass some kind of intelligence or aptitude test. Seriously, if I was that police man do you think I'd be sat at home right now regaling my wife at how I just made the streets safer once again by putting that elusive law breaking Devonian livestock farmer away??

 

[deleted user 837354]

Take it you"ve been pulled recently

No, I haven't been anywhere. But these kinds of anedotes and others you read in the press make my shake my head in disbelief in all honesty. I mean is this what we have become? Legions of petty criminals walk free with their crimes never fully investigated, lack of resources being cited as the reason, and yet here we have a man who has pulled Jerry over probably because he assumes the trailer is on 3 bald tyres and no working lights, and hey ho he comes up short with nothing except a packet of out of date wine gums in the door pocket? Was it even worth the fudging effort? You will have to explain to me the mentality of someone who does that because I don't get it. I would have made a totally useless police officer I think.

 

[Robt]

I thought only bellends, towing caravans used them.

And also people that want to be responsible and actually see what is behind them! Why would that make you a bellend, please tell me oh great one?