Trailer and towing law.
This section is not designed to be a definitive interpretation of the law. It provides an overview of current legislation that applies to the average motorist. A comprehensive guide can be downloaded from the NTTA web site.
Type approval.
All passenger carrying vehicles manufactured after 1st August 1998 with up to a gross weight of up to 3500kgs must be fitted with Type Approved tow bars. A Type Approved bar will have an identification plate fitted. Towing with a non approved bar could invalidate insurance cover.
Trailer Dimensions
7 metres overall length. 2.3 metres wide. There is no legal maximum height, but the accepted guideline to ensure stability is no more than 1.7 times the wheel track.
Brakes
Trailers with a maximum gross weight of 750kg, or whose gross weight is less than half the kerbside weight of the tow vehicle (whichever is less) do not need brakes.
All other trailers must be fitted with a functioning brake system.
Trailer Identification Plates
1982 regulations state that all trailers (including unbraked ones) must be clearly marked with their maximum gross weight in kg. This obviously has implications in the home build market.
Driving licenses
You cannot tow on a provisional license. The maximum combined gross weight of the trailer and the tow vehicle is 3.5 tonnes.* (There are exceptions to this law but if you work to this guideline you will not go far wrong.) If you have passed your test in the last few years you will need to take an additional test if you want to tow anything but the smallest trailer.
Towing weights
The bottom line is that The Gross Trailer Weight does not exceed the towing capacity of the towing vehicle.
The towing capacity of the vehicle is specified on the VIN plate. (Chassis number etc etc) The police will use this figure in conjunction with the Trailer Identification plate when deciding if the law has been broken.
Remember that the gross combined weight should not exceed 3.5 tonnes.*
* To get the complete picture the NTTA has a comprehensive guide to safe and legal towing. It is available on their web site as a psv file, and is about 40 pages long. To visit this site please click here.
