What is the punishment for driving with an offside wing mirror missing?

Question

i drive a work car to do deliveries in, and for weeks now have been missing the offside (drivers) wing mirror.

Its not my car, but as the driver i am aware it is me that will be punished, but what is the punishment? points? fine?

Im going to threaten the boss to have it fixed within a week or find me something else to drive.

Be grateful for any answers, thanks!

Answer 1

A defect notice and 7 days to get it replaced?

You are within your rights to refuse to drive a defective vehicle and if a boss was stupid enough to dismiss you, you WOULD win a case against him for unfair dismissal.

Do not THREATEN anything, just simply tell your boss that it is against the law for you to knowingly drive a defective vehicle and that you can no longer drive this vehicle until the mirror is replaced.

Answer 2

A car only needs two rear view mirrors.

A truck, however, need both outside mirrors as well as the inside rear view mirror.

The citation is usually a "fix it ticket".  Show up in court with the documentation that the violation has been corrected and the ticket is dismissed.

Answer 3

You could get an endorsable fixed penalty:

Offence Code CU20 "Causing or likely to cause a danger by reason of the use of unsuitable vehicle or using a vehicle with parts or accessories (excluding brakes, steering, old timers) in a dangerous condition"

It could be 3 points and a £60 fixed penalty or up to £2,500 and a discretionary ban if the officer chooses to summons you to a magistrate's / sheriff's court.  You may or may not get the opportunity to have it fixed, it depends on the officer who stops you.

You are fully within your rights (in fact really you are legally obliged) to refuse to drive the vehicle under health and safety laws as it is not roadworthy without that mirror.  If it is found that you are driving it knowing there is a fault then the punishment will be worse.

Answer 4

The first time just a warning and maybe 48 hours to get it fixed.

Answer 5

you MIGHT get a ticket [ some dumb rookie looking to fatten their ticket count ] but it will be made out to the COMPANY.

Answer 6

Not a legal require ment as long as you have no sharp edges on the vehicle and you have a internal mirror fitted that gives you vision to the rear

Answer 7

If the vehicle is pre-1978 a missing right-hand exterior mirror is not illegal, so long as another mirror is present.  The only requirement under U.K. Construction & Use regulations for vehicles of that age is to have at least ONE mirror which gives a view to the rear -- It may be interior or exterior on either side.

For 1978 cars onward (and for vehicles with over 7 passenger seats & for goods vehicles), you must have at least TWO mirrors, one of which is the exterior mirror on the right hand side.  

Depending upon the officer's mood and how you play your cards if pulled over, the most like outcome is a fixed penalty notice or a Vehicle Defect Rectification notice, which gives you 7 days to have the fault repaired and the ticket stamped.  In theory, you could be summonsed to court and face much higher fines, but in practice it's unlikely to happen for something so trivial.