towing on a motoway

[Gibbo]

can you tow on a motoway with a bar
this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-TOOL-RACK-1800KG-STEEL-TOW-TOWING-POLE-BAR-DOLLY_W0QQitemZ310120295330QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_R ecovery_Tools?hash=item48349c2ba2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[therealnovaboy]

dont know if its legal but would be scary as fook. if youve ever been towed 2ft from the car in front youll know what i mean, you cant see the corners coming and its hard to judje where the middle of the lane is. anything over 40 and youll be poopin it.

[Gibbo]

lol i know what you meen mate fun tho

[Jon_nova1]

its not legal, unless you broke down on the motorway, and take the next exit, i remember getting towed at 90 on the motorway, we didn't get pulled though, i imagine you would if rent a cop went past though

[Ben]

Yeah you can tow on the motorway with a fixed bar as long as the car on tow is displaying lights and if all 4 wheels are on the road it needs to be mot'd or en route to mot station.

I towed will f half way round the country on one of those lol

[mowgli]

I read a newspaper story about 15 years ago..

basically, a garage in cardiff was trying to find a gearbox for a customers italian car.... there was a place in london that the customer found that would swap it if they could get it there....
the garage agreed for the customer to drive their van & tow it, with the mechanic in the car behind...

they had been followed by the old bill at above a ton down the m4 near reading, and when they were stopped, the mechanic was a gibbering wreck & the cars brakes were melted.....

[Mike]

Ive been towed at 80+ sitting in a car with no engine being towed by my Nova.

Was erm, interesting to say the least...

[mowgli]

i've been towed too many times on a 6' lifting strap at up to 70mph on country roads....... the perils of having works vans & lads who drive them....

[Lynsey]

dont know if its legal but would be scary as fook. if youve ever been towed 2ft from the car in front youll know what i mean, you cant see the corners coming and its hard to judje where the middle of the lane is. anything over 40 and youll be poopin it.

Don't be such a mard-**** :roll:

I've used ours a few times, both in the leading and towed car. It's easier than a tow rope (and much safer than being towed by a **** in a Saph, who enjoys drifting round corners).

[burgo]

i had to tow me mate when he ran out of fuel on the m4. just as we were going up the slip road i also ran out lmao. still parked in the entrance to an army shooting range ignoring the signs warning not to lol then went to find a petrol station

[therealnovaboy]

Don't be such a mard-**** :roll:

I've used ours a few times, both in the leading and towed car. It's easier than a tow rope (and much safer than being towed by a **** in a Saph, who enjoys drifting round corners).

well in my defense for being called a wimp:cry: i was being towed by a van and i couldnt see a f'ing thing. my bum was making chocolate buttons all the way.

[Lynsey]

lol

[Graeme]

A little off topic but are A frames legal to tow with? If they have a light board and snatch cable?

[burgo]

A little off topic but are A frames legal to tow with? If they have a light board and snatch cable?A frames/dollys are designed as a means of recovery.

[Ben]

A little off topic but are A frames legal to tow with? If they have a light board and snatch cable?

Yes hence why the AA use them.

[burgo]

Yes hence why the AA use them.they are only suposed to tow them to a safe place to then be swapped to a flat bed though

[Graeme]

So dragging a car from Bedford to Warrington may be considered taking the piss? as the rac and aa will take you all the way home if you break down miles away from home

[Ben]

they are only suposed to tow them to a safe place to then be swapped to a flat bed though

They still use them!

[burgo]

They still use them!just because they do doesnt mean you can lol. would you jump off a cliff just cos someone else did??

[Ben]

I have!

IF they were not legal they would not be allowed to use them wether it be for an inch or a mile!

[burgo]

I have!

IF they were not legal they would not be allowed to use them wether it be for an inch or a mile!they are legal providing they are being used for recovery purposes. of course this means the police have to prove your not and thats the risk you take

[Ben]

I know people that have used them for years as have i transporting cars from auctions etc, got pulled over on the M5 with a corsa rally car on one and all they complained about was a tailight out, never mentioned a word about the a frame, and trust me they checked every single detail of everything incl catergories on my liscence to check i was allowed to two the weight, which they checked on the VIN of the corsa.

[Rick Draper]

Note on A-Frames and Dollies, issued by the Department for Transport

When an "A" frame is attached to a vehicle (e.g. a motor car) and towed by a motor vehicle (e.g. motorhome) we believe the "A" frame and car become a single unit and as such are classified in legislation as a trailer. As a consequence the car and A-frame are required to meet the technical requirements for trailers when used on the road in Great Britain. These requirements are contained within the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (SI 1986/1078) as amended (C&U) and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 (SI 1989/1796) as amended (RVLR).

Trailers having a combined axle mass not exceeding 750kg are not required to have brakes fitted. However, if the trailer (regardless of mass) is fitted with a braking system, then all brakes in that system must operate correctly. The regulations do not include design constraints on how this should be achieved but, for example, it could be met by direct linking of the trailer brakes to the brake system of the towing vehicle or by automatic inertia (overrun) operation via the towing hitch. Inertia systems can only be used for trailers with a maximum combined axle mass of 3500kg.

Regulations 15 and 16 set out the braking requirements - including minimum braking efficiencies for trailer brakes. Subject to certain age exemptions, the regulation requires the braking system to comply with the construction, fitting and performance requirements of European Community Directive 71/320/EEC along with its various amending Directives. The most recent consolidated directive is 98/12/EC. Alternatively the braking system can comply with the corresponding UNECE Regulation No.13.09.

In addition, C&U Regulation 18 requires the braking system to be maintained in good and efficient working order. If the brakes of the towing vehicle do not directly operate the trailer brakes the use of an inertia (overrun) system is acceptable. If the trailer braking system has power assistance (i.e. servo or full power) it is likely that this assistance will be required while in motion to meet the required braking efficiencies. This is because once the vacuum reservoir is depleted it is possible that the brakes will not meet the braking efficiency. To prevent the trailer being used illegally a remote vacuum pump, powered from the tow vehicle, could be installed to recharge the reservoir, alternatively a source could be made available from the tow vehicle. From 1 October 1988 the inertia braking system was required to allow the trailer to be reversed by the towing vehicle without imposing a sustained drag and such devices used for this purpose must engage and disengage automatically. This will be very difficult to achieve on an "A" frame using an inertia (overrun) device.

Other provisions from Regulation 15 and Regulation 86A of C&U require the fitting and use of a secondary coupling system in which the trailer is stopped automatically if the main coupling separates whilst the combination is in motion. Alternatively, in the case of trailers up to a maximum mass of 1500kg, the drawbar must be prevented from touching the ground and the trailer able to retain some residual steering.

Whilst being towed, trailers are subject to the relevant requirements given in RVLR, including the use of triangular red reflectors. There would be further requirements for the display of the appropriate number plate, etc.

The use of "dollies" is intended for the recovery of broken down vehicles, not for the transportation of a vehicle from "A" to "B". Under Regulation 83 of C&U a motor car is permitted to tow two trailers when one of them is a towing implement and the other is secured to and either rests on or is suspended from the implement. Therefore as a trailer if the maximum laden weight of the dolly exceeds 750 kg it must be fitted with operational brakes, additionally the brakes on the wheels of the second trailer (the towed car) must work and meet the specified requirements. Again this would be very difficult for the rear brakes of a motor car, on their own, to meet the 50% braking efficiency required for a trailer. The dolly would also be required by Regulation 22 of C&U to be fitted with suspension. Regulations 19 and 22 in C&U permit a broken down vehicle to be recovered without complying with these requirements. However, there is further legislation under the Road Traffic Act that introduces a limitation on the maximum speed that the combination can be driven; this is 40mph on motorways and 20mph on other roads.

We do not supply copies of legislation but I have included some information on various sources where they can be obtained. If you would like to purchase printed copies of Statutory Instruments these are available from TSO:

The Stationery Office Tel: 0870 600 5522
PO Box 29 Fax: 0870 600 5533
St Crispins e-mail: book.orders@tso.co.uk
Duke Street online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop
Norwich NR3 1GN

Although on further investigation there does seem to be a lack of general guidance from the police on the subject.

[Graeme]

So for an A frame to be legal it must be braked not just a snatch cable I'm not to bothered as it won't be me driving

[burgo]

as rick says the only reason you get away with it is because the police aint got a scooby doo on the rules either

[Will F]

Probably done about 6-7 thousand miles on motorway with fixed bars

lol

Passed police a few times and they didnt bother me/us.

[Ben]

Probably done about 6-7 thousand miles on motorway with fixed bars

lol

Passed police a few times and they didnt bother me/us.

Remember coming back from Luton at 3am with that white gsi on the back lmfao!

Can also remember the bar nearly snapping when was towing your silver gsi over the severn bridge!

[Gibbo]

so its ok then ? :)

[burgo]

so its ok then ? :)the general consensus is that not its not strictly legal but you should get away with it

[Gibbo]

mint