Car and Trailer Limitations

To know how heavy a trailer you are able to tow, you will need to know the limitations of both the car and the trailer. Different vehicles can manage different weights. This depends on various factors, such as the car’s traction and braking. You can find information about this on your registration certificate.

In addition to the limitations of both the car and the trailer, the weight you can tow will also depend on what type of driving licence you have.

B Licence

If you have a category B driving licence, you can tow light trailers. Light trailers are:

• Trailers with a total weight of no greater than 750 kg.
• If the trailer is heavier than 750 kg, then the combined total weight of the car and the trailer must not exceed 3,500 kg.

Extended B Driving Licence

If the total weight of the trailer is greater than 750 kg, then the combined total weight of the car and the trailer must not exceed 4,250 kg.

To tow even heavier trailers, you need a BE driving licence or higher.

Trailer Equipment

Lights and reflectors

• The trailer must have two white reflectors at the front. It must also have a white position lamp if it is wider than 160 cm.
• At the rear, it must have triangle-shaped reflectors, in addition to brake lights, tail lights, indicators and a registration plate lamp.
• On the sides, it should have orange marker lights and reflectors.

Brakes

All braked trailers must be equipped with an emergency brake. The brake is connected to the car by a so-called breakaway cable. If the trailer comes loose, the cable will become stretched and the trailer will brake automatically.

If the total weight of the trailer is more than 750 kg, then it must be fitted with a service brake. A common type of such a brake is the so-called over-run brake. When the car brakes, the trailer’s drawbar is pressed against the tow hitch and the trailer is braked automatically.

If the trailer’s kerb weight is more than 400 kg, then it must also have a parking brake.

You should check that the brakes work properly at regular intervals. In order to check the service brake, drive at a low speed and then brake. To check the parking brake, apply the brake and drive forward slowly, making sure the wheels are braked.

Wing mirrors

If you connect a trailer which is wider than your car (such as a caravan, for example), then you must fit additional wing mirrors to the car.

Tyres

• If the car has studded tyres, then the trailer must also have studded tyres when driving in slippery road conditions.
• However, the trailer can have studded tyres even if the car has non-studded tyres.

Towbar Noseweight

Having too high or too low a towbar noseweight can impair driving performance. You can find your optimal towbar noseweight in the instruction manual. In order to measure your towbar noseweight, you can either buy a noseweight gauge or place a set of bathroom scales under the trailer’s support wheel when it is disconnected from the car.

High towbar noseweight

High towbar noseweight is caused by placing too much weight towards the nose of the trailer. Too high a towbar noseweight can lead to:

• Dipped headlights become dazzling.
• Steering grip becoming impaired.
• Front-wheel drive cars will have impaired tractive force.

Low towbar noseweight

If there is too much weight at the back of the trailer, then the towbar noseweight will be too low. Too low a towbar noseweight can lead to:

• Dipped headlight range being reduced.
• The car and trailer becoming unstable.
• Rear-wheel drive cars having impaired tractive force.

The Jackknife Effect

You must always brake carefully when driving on slippery road conditions with a trailer attached. If the car brakes better than the trailer, then the jackknife effect may occur. This is when the trailer pushes the car to the side and both vehicles fold in the same way as a jackknife. This situation can be very difficult to control.

Check Before Driving

Check that:

1. The parking brake is not applied.
2. The service brake and parking brake both work as they should.
3. The load is properly strapped down and will not come loose when driving.
4. The load is well distributed.
5. The towbar noseweight is not too high or too low.
6. Indicators and lights work as they should.
7. The support wheel is raised and locked in place.
8. The breakaway cable is properly connected and sitting correctly.

Driving With a Trailer

When driving with a trailer connected, you must not drive faster than 80 km/h. If you are driving with an unbraked trailer that has a total weight which is equivalent to more than half of the car’s kerb weight, then you must not drive faster than 40 km/h.

If the load comes loose from the trailer and could constitute an obstacle or danger, then you should either move the load off the road or mark out its location and seek help.

Towing

There are a number of rules and other things to consider when towing another vehicle:

• The maximum permissible speed when towing another vehicle is 30 km/h.
• It is not permitted to tow a motorcycle or to use a motorcycle to tow another vehicle. This also applies to bicycles and mopeds.
• If the tow rope is more than two metres in length, then it must be clearly marked.
• Cars should be towed on the hard shoulder if there is one; otherwise, towing should take place on the right side of the road.
• Towing on a motorway/clearway is not permitted.
• If you are towing in the dark, at dusk or at dawn, and lighting on the vehicle being towed is broken, then you must mark out the vehicle. Mark out the vehicle in the same way as you would a protruding load; i.e. red lights and red reflectors at the rear and white light and white reflectors at the front.