Towing mirrors - new legislation There has been much information in the press about the new requirements for caravan towing mirrors. Several club members have come to me to ask if it is correct that all such mirrors will now have to carry an ‘E’ mark and that failure to comply might result in prosecution. I have also been asked if it is true that more than half of towing mirrors currently on sale in the UK are illegal.

I believe that the answer to both these question is a simple ‘no’. I base this on a statement issued by the Department of Transport to clarify the situation. The statement says that:

 ‘The requirements for caravan towing mirrors follow the vehicle mirror requirements as defined in Regulation 33 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.  Regulation 33 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 requires that towing mirrors comply with either the EC Directives (71/127/EEC or 2003/97/EC) or UNECE Regulation 46.

The current confusion is based on the fact that that Regulation 33 allows compliance with EC Directive 2003/97/EC.  However, the requirements of this Directive do not become compulsory for new cars until 26th January 2010.  Therefore, if the towing-mirror is already in use, or newly purchased now - E marking is preferred (but not strictly required).

If a NEW car is purchased after 26th January 2010, then 2003/97/EC or UNECE Regulation 46 compliant caravan towing mirrors will be required for that vehicle.  We assume that all caravan towing mirrors would comply with the new requirements by that time.’

So, how do you recognise an ‘E’ mark? An ‘e’ in a rectangle signifies approval to EC directives, whilst an ‘E’ in a circle signifies approval to the UN-ECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) regulation. The mark on the left here is actually from a reflector, the one on the right from a headlamp.