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It’s perhaps surprising that it’s perfectly legal in the UK to hook up a caravan or a trailer to the back of your car without any training or special licence. Towing behind your vehicle doesn’t have to be difficult. All drivers however should understand the rules around what you are allowed to do, and the basics of towing.
Do I Need A Special Licence?
Whether or not you require to pass an additional rest in order to tow a caravan, trailer or something else behind your car will involve a bit of maths. People who passed their driving test before January 1997 are allowed to tow much heavier vehicles than others who have passed more recently. In general terms, as long as the combined weight of the trailer and the car are no more than 3500kg, you should be allowed to drive on a standard licence. Look in your car’s handbook for details about weights, and there should be similar information listed on a caravan or trailer manufacturer’s website. If you want to tow a trailer or drive a vehicle which is heavier than your licence allows, then the only option is to take another driving test to get the right entitlements on your licence.
Get Ready for Towing
If you’ve never towed anything before, it’s a good idea to get some practice on quiet roads with your new caravan or trailer before heading out on a long journey. This might be a good time to book your car in for its MOT check, to make sure there are no serious mechanical faults which could be put under stress with additional weight. Another practical step is to make sure you have an extra registration plate for the rear of the trailer, which needs to be lit up at night. If you need to fit a new tow bar onto your car, it must conform with the EU regulations and be the right one for your car. An independent garage or large chain like Halfords can give advice on buying and fitting the right bar.
Practicalities of Towing
Towing behind your car is a skill. All of a sudden, your vehicle has more than doubled in length. So take your time, and give yourself lots of extra space for taking corners and parking. Try to avoid narrow country lanes wherever possible, or single-track roads where you might have to reverse. Parking in narrow car park spaces can be tricky too. Remember to stick to the speed limits too. Any vehicle towing a caravan or trailer is limited to 50 miles per hour on a single carriageway road, and 60 miles per hour on a dual carriageway or motorway. Be courteous to other road users too, if you notice that there is a large queue of traffic building up behind you then pull over into a layby and allow the queue to pass. It goes without saying that you should never carry passengers in a trailer or caravan which is being towed.