Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the retrofitting of mirrors to heavy goods vehicles registered in the Community {SEC(2006) 1238} {SEC(2006) 1239} (presented by the Commission) : COM(2006) 570 final.

The proposal for a directive aims at improving the safety of road users, in particular vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. This group bears a heavy risk of being involved in accidents with heavy goods vehicles, which have a lateral blind spot on the passenger's side. Legislation making an improved set of mirrors mandatory from 2006/2007 onwards for new heavy goods vehicles is already in place. However, existing trucks will remain in circulation without any improvement of their field of indirect vision. The Commission proposes to extend requirements for the lateral field of indirect vision, which currently only apply to new vehicles, to the existing fleet of heavy goods vehicles. (Author/publisher)