Got a Ticket for not having Extended Mirrors

[RichHog]

Originally Posted by hhendrix

Let's see? Hmmm, Texas plates in Florida with an infraction the cop was using to generate revenue for the great state of tax dodging retirees. Still a warning seems appropriate. And I agree with others that you should have the correct mirrors. More than once I have been trapped by some idiot blocking the passing lane because he/she couldn't see the traffic behind them. The worse thing about the ticket is it will probably show up on your driving record as a moving violation. Many states now share ticket info. I got a ticket in MA that showed up on my OR record.

I bought one of those inexpensive review view cameras from costco online for about $65 to mount on the license plate on the airstream. I tow with a 2011 F250 with big mirrors that extend out, but even still it's nice to see behind you if you have to back up even a few feet. I only mount the camera inside the cab only when towing and I can leave it on all the time. The camera is made by Rear View Safety, but there are lots of them out there. I wonder if the cop would have let you go if you could demonstrate the ability to see behind you.

Nope don't think so. He was after the money from an out of stater. It's set up so the easier thing is to just pay the ticket. I was about 3 miles from turning into the State Park after driving 980 miles.

[Wsmith]

Ok.. I thought I read something about 2 miles somewhere.. or was that his story? That has been a few days ago now. Have you ever pulled down 290 close to the beltway. Those lanes are so tight. I was through there with a 18' utility trailer a few months ago and I only had about 6" on each side until the stripe. I ended up getting in the inside lane and going with the flow so I didnt have to worry about more than one side and the concrete barrier about a foot away.

[Gringo]

"Originally Posted by Wsmith
Here is the Texas Law.. its the same.
Originally Posted by state.tx.us
§ 547.602. MIRRORS REQUIRED. A motor vehicle, including
a motor vehicle used to tow another vehicle, shall be equipped with
a mirror located to reflect to the operator a view of the highway
for a distance of at least 200 feet from the rear of the vehicle."


Interesting stuff. No where in there does it state that you have to be able to actually see the pavement behind the tow vehicle. Only that you have a mirror located in a position that would do it. Implying, IF it was unobstructed.

Lets face it, if you are driving along in your pickup truck with three other pickup trucks and a van behind you, you cannot see the road for 200 ft. behind you.
That view is obstructed by other vehicles.

A trailer is an obstruction that prevents you from seeing all the pavement for 200 ft. behind you, but this law does not state that you have to see that pavement. It only states that you have to position a mirror so that you could.

Are you in a mirror violation if the visibility is 175 ft. behind you in fog or rain or snow? Nope. We're not talking about driving too fast for exisiting conditions here, that's got nothing to do with the mirror. We're talking about the view behind you.
If you find that you cannot see the pavement behind you for 200 ft, do you stop and wait for visibility to improve behind you, so that you can drive forward using your headlights?

Speaking of headlights.....how far behind can you see in pitch darkness, an unlit road on a totally moonless and cloud covered starless night? It's not 200 ft, is it. So you can't drive at night anymore, either.

And all of us are guilty of mirror violations as we go around curves in heavily wooded areas.

Do you have that Florida cop's name? I want to propose an idea to him. He can find all the sharp curves coming into town, and measure a 200 ft. radius out into the underbrush on the outside of that curve, and ticket everyone going around that curve that cannot see the pavement 200 ft. behind them. I just want a percentage for the loophole. Should increase their revenue dramatically.


As for the bozo doing 80 in the inside lane, it's HIS problem if he hits something from the rear. It is totally, legally, and logically the drivers responsibility not to drive into things, no matter what those things are doing. perhaps the RV driver who took him out of the gene pool should get a commendation.

If the RV driver changes lanes into him, that's different.

[overlander64]

While the data is more than two years old, it does, at least, provide an insight into the various US requirements for Trailer Towing Mirrors. In 2008, JeepForum.com posted a state-by-state breakdown of mirror requirements for towing at this link -- ==LIST of STATE MIRROR LAWS====

Finding safe towing mirrors was one of my most important pre-towing projects when I purchased my first Nomad trailer in 1980. Since the early 1980s, I have used McKesh trailer towing mirrors (Note: a brief synopsis of trailer towing mirror requirements by state is included on this link as well.) with their optional 3" convex mirrors on the arms of both left and right mirrors. These mirrors are very easy to adjust to meet the 200' requirement and provide an excellent view of traffic approaching from the rear. They are a VERY valuable safety feature even when towing my Airstream with the "See-Through-Design".

While I understand that traffic tickets are never pleasant nor are delays for spot safety inspections, knowing that local law enforcement agencies are actively working from the preventative angle of correcting problems before they can become a contributing factor to an accident is somewhat reassuring (IMHO). I have been stopped for safety-inspections four times in the past five years. These safety inspections have been very thorough and fairly administered by the state patrol officers involved (these inspections occurred in three different states). The items that were checked when my combintaions were inspected included:

• Presence and operation of Trailer Brake Controller.
• Presence and adequacy of Trailer Towing Mirrors.
• Presence and adequacy of Trailer Hitching Equipment -- this necessitated a brief delay while the officer consulted his central dispatch office when there wasn't a rating plaque attached to the custom weld-up trailer hitch on my 1975 Cadillac in 2008 -- what was provided by the dispatch office was a copy of the basic design parameters for a weld-up Reese hitch from the 1960s.
• Presence and adequacy of safety chains.
• Tires on both the trailer and tow vehicle were checked for adequate tread depth as well as adequate weight rating for the loads involved.
• Proper functioning of running lights, brake lights, and turn signals.

This discussion has served as a reminder to me to give my Suburban a thorough safety inspection prior to placing it back into service since it has not been used for towing since the WBCCI International Rally in Madison, WI (I know that the tires will need to be replaced due to checking from advanced age) - - what else might be needed is a question mark at this time.

Kevin

[Splitrock]

Kevin, when you were stopped for safety inspections, did they check the break away switch function?

[overlander64]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Kevin, when you were stopped for safety inspections, did they check the break away switch function?

The only notation on the inspection report was that the breakaway switch was present and appeared to be wired properly - - in only one inspection, did they actually pull the pin and ask me to pull forward.

Kevin

[Gene]

Originally Posted by overlander64

I have been stopped for safety-inspections four times in the past five years.

Kevin, is this common where you live? I've never been stopped for a safety inspection while towing our Airstream and we've been to most states with it.

It has been said that people with Grateful Dead stickers or "Question Authority" bumper stickers get stopped more often. Could that be why?

Gene

[Gringo]

I bet some arabic writing on a bumper sticker might get ya inspected, too.

[Phrunes]

Originally Posted by Gringo

I bet some arabic writing on a bumper sticker might get ya inspected, too.

Or crossing back to the US from Mexico with bad axles.

[overlander64]

Greetings Gene!

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Kevin, is this common where you live? I've never been stopped for a safety inspection while towing our Airstream and we've been to most states with it.

Gene

I have been part of universal safety checks in the following locations:

• Approximately 75 Miles South of Limon, Colorado on one of the secondary highways.
• Approximately 60 miles South of Eldon, Iowa on a major secondary highway.
• Approximately 12 miles East of Cape Girardeau, Missouis on Illinois Highway 3/146.

Kevin
P.S.: I may encounter more of these as I travel secondary highways almost exclusively and both of my vehicles are more than a decade old - - and when it is the Cadillac, both vehicles are more than three decades old. In all three cases these locations were along what would likely have been a route that truckers might be traveling to avoid weigh stations on the Interstate Highway system.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Aage

Wouldn't think of pulling out without having my antique McKesh mirrors adorning the TV's doors. Here's a shot out the driver's window on the road that connects the Jackson Centre facility to the I75, on our way home from the Run To The Sun in December 2009.

It was very reassuring to be able to get a good look at what Henri was doing back there. An AS is easy to tow, but if you are about to pull into another lane, I don't see how you could do it without seeing a clear view of what's back there.

The current McKesh is different (cheaper, IMO); JC Whitney sells the old style under a different name (EAGLE, I think) My folks had these and they were very good.

.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Greetings Gene!



I have been part of universal safety checks in the following locations:
[LIST][*]Approximately 75 Miles South of Limon, Colorado on one of the secondary highways.

Kevin,

We see the roadside set ups every couple of months except for mid winter. Colorado uses a van, a trooper and a portable weigh station and they set up at a wide spot in the road. They can show up anywhere except the interstates. I've never seen anything but large trucks pulled over.

Has anyone else been pulled over or seen a travel trailer stopped at one of these, or is Kevin a marked man?

Gene

[Splitrock]

Are travel trailers required to pull into the truck weigh stations? I never do with my construction tandem trailers. I see some signs that say all vehicles with trailers must stop. What about those?

[RickDavis]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Kevin,

We see the roadside set ups every couple of months except for mid winter. Colorado uses a van, a trooper and a portable weigh station and they set up at a wide spot in the road. They can show up anywhere except the interstates. I've never seen anything but large trucks pulled over.

Has anyone else been pulled over or seen a travel trailer stopped at one of these, or is Kevin a marked man?

Gene

It must be cause Kevin looks like such a shady character

I have driven almost 600k in the last 12 years or so, most of it towing and most of it on the Interstates taking in 49 states and a good bit of Canada.
The few temporary roadside checks I have encountered I was waved through with out having to stop.

[RickDavis]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Are travel trailers required to pull into the truck weigh stations? I never do with my construction tandem trailers. I see some signs that say all vehicles with trailers must stop. What about those?

This is a really gray area no one seems to know the answer to, Even the transport company I pulled for. It is further confused by weight limits etc.
As a general rule we did not stop, other than at some ports of entry out west. Usually if you did pull into a weigh station you were looked at like "What are you doing here".
It pretty much became a judgement call when delivering travel trailers ( we did have signs on the truck).

Maybe once a year I would hear of someone being chased down and getting a ticket but that would represent many thousands of weigh stations being passed.

I have never been stopped while towing, either working or with my own trailer.

With a personal trailer I have never known any one to be ticketed The few times I felt the signs really meant business and did go in, Colorado comes to mind, I would be waved through.
This is another area where each state has it's own laws and Federal regs would be better and consistent

[Splitrock]

I found this for Minnesota:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/horse/c...egbrochure.pdf

I don't have any signs on my tow vehicle or on either of my trailers. No commercial plates on anything. I've just never stopped. I'm under 10,000# with my pickup and trailer. With my Airstream, I'll be over, but RV's are exempt. Answered my own question:-)

Gary

[overlander64]

I am something of an inspection/safety lane magnet - - if the authorities are running an inspection station, I will be inspected. The most frustrating example was when making a day-trip into Canada about six years ago. I was caravanning with five other Airstreamers and we carpooled in two Suburbans to make a day-trip into Canada from Minnesota - - our friends who were just ahead of us in their Suburban went through the border crossing with no problems - - we weren't so lucky - - we were pulled out for a full inspection that included removing everything from the Suburban and inspecting each of the Rubbermaid totes including those with the stincky slinky and other sewer components - - they even opened the dozen or so boxes that I had accumulated purchasing geodes to display in my minerals cabinet -- enwarpped each geode then replaced it in its box. We were released without question almost three hours later without further explanation.

When my rig was inspected in Colorado it may have been because my Suburban had class D truck license plates at the time. In the other instances all motor vehicles were being inspected. In Illinois it isn't terribly uncommon to have temporary checkpoints established where all vehicles are checked for proof of registration and insuarnce as well as for properly functioning safety equipment - - I manage to encounter at least one of these every year.

Kevin

[Gene]

Kevin, please don't ever let me go anywhere with you.

But, if I do have contraband or something unsafe, travel ahead of me to attract the authorities to you.


Gene

[Ag&Au]

If a mirror reverses everything left and right, why doesn't it turn eveything upside down?

here is the link to the answer:


/ᄅ-uʍop-puɐ-dn-ʇou-ʇnq-ʇɟǝl-puɐ-ʇɥƃıɹ-ǝsɹǝʌǝɹ-sɹoɹɹıɯ-op-ʎɥʍ/ㄣ0/ᄅ0/0⇂0ᄅ/ɯoɔ˙oɹǝzʎqsıʌıp//:dʇʇɥ


Ken



For those of you who still don't get it:

Why do mirrors reverse right and left but not up and down? « Division by Zero


For those who still don't get it; I'm with you.

[Phrunes]

Ken's mirror link has me all confused now...I had the curb side, street side concept down, relative to my position in the TV, but this article seems to throw a monkey wrench in the whole system! YIKES! I suppose I should go watch some more Nova and Discovery making sure I bone up on my quantum physics. In the meantime, please forgive me if I mis-reference which side of my trailer I am referring to. Clear as mud now? Smiles