Check exactly which driver`s license you have with gov.uk to learn more. To pull heavier suits than your current driver`s license allows, you need to: Towing can be very useful, whether you`re taking a trailer to the landfill, a caravan to the holiday park, or a trailer in a car to the race track. But it`s important to make sure you`re doing it both safely and legally. Not all vehicles are suitable for towing, but those with a set weight limit can tow legally and safely. It is important to check these limits before laying off a trailer to avoid potentially serious damage to the vehicle or even a traffic accident. In December 2021, the law was amended to allow more drivers to legally tow trailers without additional information on their driver`s license or train exams. Following this change, here are the current towing rules of the United Kingdom. Whether you`re planning to tow a caravan, trailer, horse box or boat, it`s important to understand what your driving licence allows you to tow, the laws governing towing in the UK and how to pull safely. Our comprehensive guide to towing in the UK covers it all. If your total weight is close to the limit or your caravan is close to your car`s maximum towing capacity, it`s worth pulling out the scales and doing the sums to make sure you don`t go beyond what`s allowed. The weight of the braked trailer refers to the maximum amount a car can tow if the trailer in question has its own brakes. If it has its own brakes, it can weigh more than if it is not – the heaviest unbraked trailer that can be legally towed is 750 kg. There is an exception to this rule.
If you install a hitch in a vehicle that was first driven before August 1, 1998, your hitch can be of any design and does not need to be legally of an approved type. Most cars have a maximum weight that they can pull safely and legally. First, you need to make sure that what you want to tow does not exceed the allowable net mass (MAM) of the trailer or the maximum towing capacity of the vehicle. These numbers should be easy to find in an individual driving manual. Any person who passed his driving test on or after 1 January 1997 holds a category B driving licence. This allows you to drive cars and trailers with a combined MAM (maximum permissible mass) of 4,250 kg, provided that the trailer has a MAM not exceeding 750 kg (the MAM is the highest that the car or trailer is allowed to weigh when loaded). Whether you need a towing service or are coming to the aid of someone whose car breaks down, it`s a good idea to know how to tow a car safely and legally, just in case the worst happens. Although our patrols repair an average of 4 out of 5 road vehicles in just 30 minutes, you may need to be towed to the nearest workshop, so it`s important to know what to do, even if you already have RAC roadside assistance. If you plan to attach a trailer or caravan to your car, it`s important to know the legal requirements before you leave.
If you still don`t know which car to use or if you know that your car is not suitable, it is worth researching which cars can best pull a caravan. Updated to confirm that the rules about what you can tow will not change on November 15, 2021. The amendment will be introduced at a later stage and as soon as possible. Driving licences issued between 1 January 1997 and 19 January 2013 may legally drive a towing vehicle weighing 3500 kilograms towing a trailer up to 750 kilograms. You can also tow a trailer weighing more than 750 kg if the weight of the towing vehicle and trailer together does not exceed 3500 kg. The towing load is the maximum weight that a car can legally tow. However, it may not be safe or comfortable to do so, especially with a caravan or trailer with a large box-shaped profile. Horses come in all shapes and sizes, and the average weight can range from 200kg for a small pony to 1,000kg for a Shire. The weight of horse boxes also varies greatly, so it`s important to have an exact figure on what to tow before you start.
If your instructor has booked your exam for you, talk to them about what happens next. For safe towing, it is recommended by many towing experts that a beginner does not support the fully loaded weight of the caravan heavier than 85% of the curb weight of the towing car. This is called the 85% rule. Keep in mind that this is a guide that is not legally binding. If you need to tow a heavier load than your standard driving licence allows, you must have a C1E category driving licence – this allows you to drive medium-sized vehicles between 3,500 and 7,500 kg MAM (with a trailer up to 750 kg).