This does not apply, however, if the vehicle was first used before 1 August 1998. If you are purchasing a tow bar for your car, it must be type-approved - this means that it has been approved for use in the UK and EU and is suitable for your vehicle.Therefore, it is important to take every step you can to ensure that you are as safe as possible. When towing on public roads, if you are deemed to be doing so in an unsafe manner you could be prosecuted and liable for a large fine, penalty points or even a driving ban. The combined MAM of both must not exceed 12,000kg. If you need to tow a load that’s heavier than what your standard licence allows, you will need to hold a category C1E licence - this allows you to drive medium-sized vehicles between 3,500 and 7,500kg MAM (with a trailer up to 750kg). Towing a heavier vehicle and trailer combination: what do you need? In the meantime, your current licence will still qualify you for this category, even if it isn’t physically marked. However, this test is no longer required.Īs a result of the rule change, whenever drivers who passed their test after 1997 receive a new driving licence - such as when you renew or change your details - category BE will be added to it. Prior to the 2021 rule change, drivers who passed their test after 1997 would have had to undergo additional training and pass a dedicated car and trailer test if they wished to tow anything heavier than 750kg. Following that change, these are the current UK towing rules… In December 2021, the law was changed to allow more drivers to legally tow trailers without any added endorsements on their licence or towing tests. Towing licence rules: what can you legally tow in the UK? These must be treated as absolute limits and the sensible option is to keep well below them to be safe. Whatever you are towing must never exceed the trailer’s MAM or the car’s maximum towing capacity. If you need some help in working out your total figure, you could purchase a towing scale. Once you know this figure, it is very important to then add in the weight of any extra payload that you will be placing inside the trailer - such as luggage in a caravan or a horse in a horsebox. Your car’s towing capacity will be total remaining once the car’s weight has been removed from the gross train weight, the maximum weight of the trailer itself. The simplest formula to follow when working out your car’s maximum towing capacity is to subtract the car’s MAM from the gross train weight. You can expect to see the vehicle’s Maximum Allowable Mass, the gross train weight (the most the car and trailer can weigh when combined), and the maximum axle loads for the vehicle. As with towing weights, more than one amount will probably be displayed. If you need to manually calculate your car’s maximum towing capacity, then also displayed on the VIN plate or in the handbook will be your vehicle’s weight.
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