In 1971 J. Standard Baker Quoted " Drivers Towing Trailers  Are Four (4) Times As Unsafe As Those In Cars Alone! 

Towing with a car

Driving licence rules and what you can tow
Car towing weight and width limits

Towing equipment
Towing an American caravan or trailer

1. Driving licence rules and what you can tow

The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your driving test.

View your driving licence information to see if you’re allowed to tow.

Licences issued from 19 January 2013

If you passed your car driving test (category B) from 19 January 2013, you can tow:

small trailers weighing no more than 750kg
a trailer over 750kg as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing car or van is no more than 3,500kg (3.5 tonnes) maximum authorised mass (MAM)

MAM is the limit on how much the vehicle can weigh when it’s loaded.

You have to pass the car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.

Licences issued from 1 January 1997

If you passed your car driving test between 1 January 1997 and 18 January 2013, you can:

drive a car or van up to 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

You have to pass the car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.

Licences held before 1 January 1997

If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg MAM. View your driving licence information to check.

You’re also allowed to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM.

Towing heavier combinations

Follow these steps if you want to tow heavier combinations.

Apply for provisional licence for a medium-sized lorry and trailer (category C1+E).

Pass the lorry theory test.

Pass the C1+E driving test.

You need to take extra Driver Certificate of               Professional Competence (CPC) tests if driving the medium-sized lorry is the main part of your job.

Once you’ve done this you can drive vehicles and trailers with a combined weight of up to 12,000kg MAM.

Next Car towing weight and width limits

Towing with a car Part Two (2)

Driving licence rules and what you can tow
Car towing weight and width limits

Towing equipment
Towing an American caravan or trailer

2. Car towing weight and width limits

Most cars have a maximum weight they can tow. It’s usually listed in the handbook or specification sheet.

Alternatively the vehicle’s ‘gross train weight’ may be listed on the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate on the car. This is normally under the bonnet or inside the driver’s door.

The gross train weight is the weight of the fully-loaded car plus fully-loaded trailer and must not be exceeded.

If your VIN plate doesn’t list a train weight, you should not use your vehicle for towing.

Width and length

The maximum trailer width for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres.

The maximum length for a trailer towed by a vehicle weighing up to 3,500kg is 7 metres. This length does not include the A-frame.

The rules are different if you’re using a larger vehicle to tow a car, eg a motorhome towing a car.

NHTSA you better wake up...because the drumbeat will continue...."I Guarantee It" Everybody who reads this....NHTSA The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has tried to destroy Dangerous Trailers.org...We have the overwhelming evidence from letters to evidence that since 1975 over 20,000 dead Americans...and NHTSA does not care.

We have Overwhelming evidence that the Insurance Industry hides defective hitches and trailers.

We have Overwhelming evidence that 7 States have no safety chain law.

We have Overwhelming evidence that 12 States have no registrations.

We have Overwhelming evidence that the United States Secretary Of Transportation has acknowledge that "All Trailers Of This Type Are Built To A Voluntary Standard"

England has enacted a testing How To Tow A Trailer.

England Has Started to address this Critical issue....and to have a STANDARD developed by another Country and not have some sort of adoption in the United States is absolutely stunning.  Every Death Going Forward After This standard in England is fully the fault of the Idiots at the NTSB and NHTSA for complete and utter ignorance.

IIn England They Now Have A Towing Your Trailer Test....Note:  The United States Is So Stupid They Continue to fight our life saving efforts....Lawsuits will change their minds.

chttps://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/driving-licence-rules-and-what-you-can-tow

The Most Stunning Admission of FACT!!!   Towing with a car We ALREADY KNOW THAT MOST AMERICAN TRAILERS DO NOT HAVE ANY SAFETY STANDARDS...AND NOW THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT JUST PROVED US RIGHT.

Driving licence rules and what you can tow
Car towing weight and width limits

Towing equipment
Towing an American caravan or trailer

4. Towing an American caravan or trailer

American trailers and caravans don’t always meet European safety regulations.

If you want to use an American caravan or trailer in the UK or the EU, you must first check that it’s legal.

Read more in the ‘American caravan/trailer brakes and coupling up to 3500kg maximum laden weight’ factsheet.

Trailer safety guidance re-written following Bedminster family’s campaign

Posted on 15/05/2016 by karin@karinsmyth.com

[Airport 2 feb 2016] New trailer safety guidance has been issued by the government following the campaigning of a Bedminster family who lost their three year old son when a trailer became detached from a Land Rover.

Freddie Hussey was killed in January 2014 as he and his mother walked home along Parson Street after dropping off Freddie’s older brother at school. A two tonne trailer towed by a Land Rover careered across the pavement, fatally crushing Freddie.

Since becoming Bristol South MP, Karin Smyth has been supporting parents Scott and Donna Hussey’s campaign for improved trailer safety as they seek to ensure some good comes from the tragedy. Karin Smyth called a special Parliamentary debate earlier in the year and arranged a face-to-face meeting between herself, Mr and Mrs Hussey and Transport Minister Andrew Jones last month.

Following these events, the Minister has confirmed in writing a number of steps being taken following the Labour MP’s work in Parliament, and the family’s campaigning:
• [s300_dvsa] Driver and Vehicle Safety Agency (DVSA) guidance has just been re-written to heighten awareness of trailer roadworthiness, following Freddie’s case. It has been issued online and sent to businesses and stakeholders nationwide that are involved in the use of trailers
• A parallel awareness campaign will run through the summer, with social media and newsletter promotion
• A new video is being developed by DVSA demonstrating how to carry out safety checks on trailers, including how to ensure proper coupling
• The Minister will be raising the issues surrounding driver sentencing (a key concern of Mr and Mrs Hussey) with his Ministry of Justice ministerial colleagues, suggesting they consider roadworthiness & secure fitting of trailers be included in an imminent review of driver sentencing.

Karin Smyth said: “Freddie’s case was a tragedy of untold magnitude, but together we have been resolute in our wish that some good comes of it. Following the family’s work in the community, and my work in Parliament, we are making good progress in bringing about change that can help improve safety on our roads.

“My aim was, and remains, bringing the Hussey family’s experiences to the attention of government and through my debate and meetings with the Minister, I know this is being taken very seriously indeed. This is an issue well beyond party politics, and it’s right to give credit to the Minister who really has engaged with the family.

“These are significant concessions by the government which are primarily a tribute to the work of Scott and Donna Hussey to ensure some good might come from their son’s tragic death. The local community which has supported them through incredibly difficult times also deserves great credit.

“Looking ahead we need to reflect on what has been achieved so far, and work out next steps. I will be keeping on top of this issue, as we can be in no doubt that there are more accidents waiting to happen if the right changes aren’t made,” she added.

Freddie’s parents, Donna and Scott Hussey, said: “We are not celebrating these changes, but we are really pleased because they represent major progress on a vital safety concern that is far more widespread than has previously been recognised at government level. We know that these new measures have only come about because of the campaigning that has been well supported by our community and our local MP.”This entry was posted in Bristol South. Bookmark the permalink.
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0 Responses to "Trailer safety guidance re-written following Bedminster family’s campaign"Comment is awaiting moderation


By Ron Melancon 16/05/2016 - 12:33 am

You and the Hussey family is our hero…and role model….in the United States we cannot get anyone as brave as you Karin Smyth to do the same. Yes If your trailer comes loose you need to go to jail for at least 5 years if your trailer kills someone. That will get the change we need and then people should not tow a homemade trailer period. http://www.dangeroustrailers.org….and Karin Smyth you put our law makers in the United States to shame. They do not hold a candle to you……they sink.Reply

Towing with a car Part Three (3)

Driving licence rules and what you can tow
Car towing weight and width limits

Towing equipment
Towing an American caravan or trailer

3. Towing equipment

The equipment you use with your trailer or caravan must meet certain safety standards.

Towing bars

If you get a tow bar for your car, it needs to be ‘type approved’. This means it meets EU regulations and is designed for your car.

A type-approved tow bar will have a label with an approval number and details of the vehicles it’s approved for.

If your car was first used before 1 August 1998, your tow bar doesn’t need to be type-approved.

Towing mirrors

You must have an adequate view of the road behind you. If your caravan or trailer is wider than the rear of the towing vehicle, you may need to fit suitable towing mirrors.

You can get 3 points on your licence and be fined up to £1,000 for towing without proper towing mirrors.

Trailer brakes

Any trailer weighing over 750kg, including its load, must have a working brake system.

Some smaller trailers also have brakes, although these are optional.

Any brakes on a trailer or caravan must be in good working order.

Number plates

You must display the same number plate on your trailer as on your towing car. If you tow more than one trailer at a time, fix the number plate to the trailer at the back.

A-frames and dollies

If you attach an A-frame to a car in order to tow it with a larger vehicle, the car plus A-frame counts as a trailer.

If you use a dolly to tow a broken-down vehicle, the dolly counts as a trailer.

In both cases the usual safety regulations for trailers apply.

Read more in the ‘A’ frames and dollies’ factsheet.

Karin Smyth MP The Only Political Lawmaker In The World To Address And Get Things Done...With The Hussey Family.  Note: In The United States They Pay Off Families To Not Get Involved And They Try And Destroy Our Cause....all because of the Lobbiest of the Trailer Companies....NATM...The National Association Of Trailer Manufactures....Your Time Is Coming To Be Sued.