Remove mirrors and your vehicle might soon lose warranty

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu transport commissioner to consider requesting manufacturers and dealers of two-wheelers and cars to incorporate a condition stating that the warranty of the vehicle may not be applicable if customers remove the rear-view and side-view mirrors.

The direction was issued after advocate Ramkumar Adityan moved a plea seeking for the court to direct the authorities to fine two-wheeler riders who remove their rear-view mirrors. Removing these mirrors violates the traffic rules, he asserted. Steps must be taken to ensure traffic discipline and reduce road accidents because most riders are not aware that riding without rear-view mirrors is a violation, the petitioner added.

The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, observed that it is necessary to instruct dealers to ensure vehicles are sold with side and rear-view mirrors. The bench disposed of the plea observing that dealers are advised to caution customers that the warranty would fail if they remove the mirrors. Vehicle-manufacturing dealers should include a clause to such effect, the bench said.