When it comes to towing, every car would have a different capacity, requirements and permission of towing stating what it can and cannot tow. The rules are equally applicable depending on who is driving the car. If you have a car, that might have to perform towing tasks, it is better to have a rough knowledge on these differences of rules will ensure that your vehicle would be able to tow the caravan or a trailer legally.
Loading
The Spartanburg Chevrolet dealership helped us know about the towing rules. They say that the towing rules that are formed for loading as well as the permissible weights of trailers and caravans are highly technical and measurement specific. Though we are not going into the details, we are gathering the basic principles on which these rules have been finalized:
- Overloading a trailer or a caravan would be strictly prohibited.
- Whatever is being loaded, whether a trailer or a caravan must be within the towing ability of the car.
- The combined weight of the towing car and the trailer or caravan must not cross the maximum train weight of the car.
License and Testing Rules
In the year 1997, new rules have replaced the older ones and are still continuing.
- If a driver has passed the driving test before 1st January 1997, he can drive a vehicle and trailer up to a maximum of 8.25 tons.
- If a driver has passed the driving test after 1st January 1997, he can drive a B Category vehicle with a weight of maximum 750kg.
- Drivers from the second category can also take a ‘The car and trailer (B+E) test’ to know their driving capacities.
Tow Brackets
To tow anything, a car needs to be fitted with a tow bracket. These brackets are made following the European Standards Directive that specifies 94/20/EC. This specification would be displayed on the tow bracket itself, either on a plate or on a stamp.
There are some vehicles that are not made to tow. In that case, it would be illegal to fit a tow bar or bracket on these cars. To know if a car is allowed to tow one has to check the VIN plate. If in the VIN plate it shows a ‘gross train weight’, then it can, and if not, then it cannot use the car for towing purpose.
Un-Braked Trailers
In the Spartanburg Chevy dealership we learned that there is a common tendency in drivers to tow in an un-braked trailer. But in that case the authorities don’t allow such cars to go ahead beyond certain limits. And for an un-braked trailer, the load it can tow is maximum 750kg.
The Bottom Line
While the towing rules might appear to many as dark and hazy, they surely have a specific reason behind determining the weight for each kind of car. The only task for an owner of a car is to have the knowledge on this and abide by the rules. They should work out on their limits and keep complying them in tune with the law, for a simple reason, to be safe and secure on roads while performing a towing task.