New mirror regulations for truck drivers

THE European Union has introduced new regulations, which will take effect at the end of March 2009, on improving the standards of truck drivers’ mirrors.

Directive 2007/38/EC requires vehicles over 3.5 tonnes to have devices (mirrors or CCTV) retrofitted to improve the driver’s field of vision, with the aim of reducing the number of so-called ‘blind spot’ accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

There have been many accidents where pedestrians and riders have been struck by goods vehicles after entering the road space on the inside of the vehicle and into the driver’s blind spot.

Legislation requiring improvements to the mirrors on new vehicles were enforced in 2007, but many existing trucks (post 1 January 2000) remain in use without any improvement to their field of indirect vision. The new EU regulations extend this legal requirement to the existing fleet of HGVs.

To aid the transition, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has published a compliance guide – ‘Retrofitting of Mirrors to HGVs’ – outlining the new regulations and what operators and drivers need to do in order to meet them. The guide provides information on the legislation itself, advice relating to field of vision, requirements for retrofit and a section dedicated to question and answers.

Geoff Dossetter, director of external affairs at FTA, said: ‘The new generation of mirrors considerably improves the lorry driver’s field of vision and reduces blind spots, to the benefit of himself and other road users.

‘Despite the benefits of the new mirror technology, the advice to all road users remains to take the utmost care when in the vicinity of heavy lorries. Whether slow moving in an urban situation, or on a motorway or trunk road, give the truck plenty of room.’

The guide is available to FTA members on the FTA website. www.fta.co.uk