Must I by law be able to see through the rear window when driving?

Question:

I am wanting to know how legal these Renault Kangoo and VW Caddy’;s are. When reversing either of these vans one cannot see directly behind the van as there are no windows in the back door. I am told that in the VW Caddy the black board can be removed revealing a tinted window.

My question is, “how legal are these van’;s as you cannot see out the rear, need to use the side mirrors”?.

These are still classed as panel vans and are not trucks?

Answer:

They are legal. The law requires that you need to see the road behind the vehicle and if that is not possible with a rear view mirror a side mirror on the left-hand side is allowed. Most big trucks operate like that as well. If you draw a caravan you also use the outside mirrors as the rear view mirror’s view is blocked.

 

;

Must I by law be able to see through the rear window when driving?