Do I need mirrors on my Vespa
My Vespa recently had a wing mirror broken and I was wondering if it is legal to have just one wing mirror? No one seems to know. Cheers
Ben, London
Answer
The answer lies within The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. There is no legal requirement to have mirrors on a motorcycle. However, as a motorcyclist you need to be fully aware of traffic around you at all times so it is highly advisable to have two mirrors.
A safety issue with having no mirrors is that to undertake effective rear observations you need to turn your upper body and head. This bodily movement can shift weight and in inexperienced hands can lead to the motorcycle veering and sometimes loss of control.
If you have mirrors then to pass a MOT they must be in serviceable condition and work correctly so always replace cracked or broken glass and keep them clean.
If you are involved in an accident and don’t have wing mirrors and a court decided that their absence played a material part in the accident, then even though it is not a legal requirement I can see your opponent arguing that the accident was partly your fault. I am not aware that this has ever been tested in court but can easily imagine it being argued. A bit like if your tyres were below the legal tread threshold if this played a part in the accident.
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