Removing Your Mirrors Could Cancel Your Bike’s Warranty In India

It’s an all too common mod—taking the rear-view mirrors off of a motorcycle to achieve a sleeker, more streamlined aesthetic. While there is well and truly no need for rear-view mirrors in a racing scenario in a closed circuit, they are a vital safety feature all bikes and vehicles must have on the street. In fact, in most countries, having such mirrors is a requirement for street-legality. 

Due to the proliferation of this modification among two-wheeler riders in India, a plea was issued by advocate Ramkumar Adityan to have authorities fine riders who remove their rear-view mirrors. The logic behind the plea was that, obviously, riding without mirrors poses a threat not just to the safety of the rider and passenger, but to that of other road users such as car drivers and pedestrians. He went on to add that most motorcycle and scooter riders are simply unaware that riding without rear-view mirrors is a traffic violation. 

If that were the case, then India certainly has its work cut out when it comes to educating road users prior to issuing driver’s licenses. In the mean time, the Madras High Court, one of India’s oldest and most respected courts, directed the Tamil Nadu transport commissioner to request manufacturers and dealerships of cars and motorcycles to include a clause in the vehicle warranty policy that states the revocation of said warranty should the owner operate the vehicle without rear-view mirrors. 

A constitution bench, lead by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, went over the recommendation and stated that, apart from revising the vehicle’s warranty policy, it is necessary to ensure that all dealers sell their vehicles with rear-view mirrors in the first place. On top of this, dealers must advise buyers of their vehicles to keep the rear-view mirrors installed at all times. 

Removing Your Mirrors Could Cancel Your Bike’s Warranty In India
Source: Philippines Election