towing legalities

[essex dan 0]

hi all i think ill be picking up a car soon but i cant drive it as it has no mot.what are the laws (if any)on towing a car with a rope?itll be mainly down A roads.thanks.dan.

[sexybourbon 0]

Just book an mot at your local garage for the day you will be collecting it , if you get stopped just tell them you are going straight to an mot station as its legal to drive it to there just keep the garages num in ya fone so you can confirm its booked in

[stemid 0]

pretty sure if you're towing it, it has to be mot'd, taxed and insured.

 

better off borrowing a trailer (if you have your trailer license, or old enough)

[iceviolet 0]

I looked into this a while ago and yes if any wheel is on the road then it needs tax,mot and insurance. So only way of transporting without is on the back of a truck or trailer that lifts the car clear of the road

[robrado974 1]

i would use a trailer ,they are not that expensive. i thought tow ropes were banned now . better to do it properly than for something going wrong and you end up with a load grief.

[Purple Tom 0]

If the towed vehicle is attached to the towing vehicle solidly, i.e with a rigid bar, then you have no problem as the towed vehicle is classed as a trailer and is covered by the towing vehicles' insurance.

 

However, if you're towing with a rope then both vehicles need to be taxed, insured and MOT'd, unless you're going to an MOT station with an appointment in which case the towed vehicle doesn't need to be taxed or MOT'd. Insurance is still a must though.

[iceviolet 0]

If the towed vehicle is attached to the towing vehicle solidly, i.e with a rigid bar, then you have no problem as the towed vehicle is classed as a trailer and is covered by the towing vehicles' insurance.

 

However, if you're towing with a rope then both vehicles need to be taxed, insured and MOT'd, unless you're going to an MOT station with an appointment in which case the towed vehicle doesn't need to be taxed or MOT'd. Insurance is still a must though.

 

If the vehicle being towed has an engine, it is still classed as a motor vehicle and not a trailer, therfore if any wheel is on the road it needs taxing and insuring like any other motor vehicle.

If the car was regarded a trailer, for a trailer with a weight over 750kg it needs to be fully braked on each on wheel touching the floor and also a working light board and number plate showing the towing cars registration. And the towing car must be heavier than the car being towed.

 

there is information on the department for transport website that has all the laws and rules for towing

[awright182 0]

What about if the engine doesn't go? What if the engine is in bits in the boot?

 

The MOT advice isn't good either. I think that trick only works if the MOT station is local to where the car is normally kept.

 

Hire a trailer. I've done it a couple of times. It's amazing what a Mk II GTI will tow. I reckon the trailer weighed nearly as much as the car :-)

[Purple Tom 0]

Sorry guys - terrible advice from me, I think I'm getting muddled up with towing on a dolly, forgot about MAM and the brakes on each wheel. Plus my experience is from years ago when towing one Scammell with another, with the air lines connected through suzi's so the brakes and steering functioned on the 'dead' vehicle.

 

Ignore me and just get a trailer!

[Reggit 0]

With a trailer remember the trailer weight mustn't exceed the unladen weight of the tow car. Link to the legalities here.