Hey Ron- what do you think?

On jeepforum, there's a discussion about side mirrors in TX- required or not? It's confusing.

TXDPS website (inspection) states
NOTE: An inside mirror would meet all the above requirements. If the vehicle is equipped with more than one mirror, only one, either inside or outside, needs to meet all requirements.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/search/searchresults.asp?type=cache&q=cache:http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/inspection/rules_list.asp%3Fitemdrop%3DMirror+mirror&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&client=DPSInternet&site=ER&oe=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=DPSInternet


Then on the TX Adminstrative code website http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=37&pt=1&ch=21&rl=1 you find this:

“Driver rear visibility requirement--To meet this requirement a motor vehicle must be equipped with outside mirrors on both the left and right sides of the vehicle that are located so as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway through each mirror a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle.”

and then later in the same code where it discusses window tint on the rear window it states:

(C) Rear (back) windows for passenger, bus, van, club wagon, motor home, truck and truck tractor, and multipurpose vehicles.

(i) If vehicle has left and right outside mirrors (no driver rear visibility requirement), there is no minimum light transmission requirement.

(ii) If vehicle is not equipped with both a left and right side outside mirrors, the rear window must have a 70% light transmittance value for the area used for driver visibility. A glazing shade band is authorized at the topmost portion of the rear window, as with the windshield. The glazing in the shade band area is authorized to have less than 70% light transmittance.


So between the inspection wording, and the conflicting wording in the Admin Code... It's confusing as to whether outside mirrors are required. And if so, are both sides required?

When my doors are off, I do use an outside mirror on my drivers side only. On the passenger side I have a blind spot mirror mounted to the air vent- obviously that only provides visibility to my blind spot over there (definitely not 200ft)

Everything that I can find states that it is OK to not have side mirrors. The emphasis is on the rear view mirror and how far back you shouls be able to see etc...

FNU - can you help verify? It's been almost 10 years since I wrote a ticket and I didnt write (many) chickenchit ones back then...

I will make a phone call to one of the traffic guys tomorrow.

I was told by Galveston County SO that a vehicle was not required to have the side mirrors, with doors off, to be street legal. Just the rear-view mirror.

But then again, that was Galveston County SO.....

I believe that it comes down to 1 mirror visible to the rear 200 ft.... either side or center. I always think about inspection requirements either as a dune buggy or panel van with no windows....if either of those can pass....your good.

the dune buggy argument handles the whole fender flares not being required if you think about it......

interestingly, there are no requirements that things that required, like a horn, be able to be operated from inside the vehicle, I honked my horn once with a switch under the hood....it passed


Lnufnu

lnufnu wrote:

I believe that it comes down to 1 mirror visible to the rear 200 ft.... either side or center. I always think about inspection requirements either as a dune buggy or panel van with no windows....if either of those can pass....your good.

the dune buggy argument handles the whole fender flares not being required if you think about it......

interestingly, there are no requirements that things that required, like a horn, be able to be operated from inside the vehicle, I honked my horn once with a switch under the hood....it passed


Lnufnu

yup, I asked my traffic buddies and got the same answer. they also mentioned that you could mount the rear view mirror on the roof if you wanted - cause there is nothing in the code that speaks of viewing from the drivers seat. Kinda like the horn thing.

Code or not - it makes me pucker every time I switch lanes without that side mirror on the passengers side.

Mr.RonGilbert wrote:

lnufnu wrote:

I believe that it comes down to 1 mirror visible to the rear 200 ft.... either side or center. I always think about inspection requirements either as a dune buggy or panel van with no windows....if either of those can pass....your good.

the dune buggy argument handles the whole fender flares not being required if you think about it......

interestingly, there are no requirements that things that required, like a horn, be able to be operated from inside the vehicle, I honked my horn once with a switch under the hood....it passed


Lnufnu

yup, I asked my traffic buddies and got the same answer. they also mentioned that you could mount the rear view mirror on the roof if you wanted - cause there is nothing in the code that speaks of viewing from the drivers seat. Kinda like the horn thing.

Code or not - it makes me pucker every time I switch lanes without that side mirror on the passengers side.

well the DPS website does state "from the drivers position" http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/search/searchresults.asp?type=cache&q=cache:http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/inspection/rules_list.asp%3Fitemdrop%3DMirror+mirror&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&client=DPSInternet&site=ER&oe=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=DPSInternet

So I guess they corrected that little problem