New Towing Rules Planned To Be Announced In November Now Delayed
Wednesday, 1. December 2021
New rules about towing a trailer or caravan with a car, expected to take effect from Monday (November 15), have been delayed.
No reason was given by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which said on the Government website that the new towing rules will now be introduced at a “later date, and as soon as possible”.
It announced in September that car and trailer driving tests would no longer be required, with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) updating driving licence records automatically.
The category B+E, it said, would be added to photocard driving licences when they are renewed. Tests, it added, would no longer be available after September 20, 2021.
Jonathan White, legal and compliance director from National Accident Helpline, said: “We welcome the delay in the introduction of these changes and hope that the Government makes use of the extra time to consider them in more detail, ensuring that the safety of drivers is considered as the top priority.
“The changes will see millions of drivers simultaneously given the right to tow a trailer of considerable weight, without needing any previous experience or training in driving while towing a load – all at a time of year when visibility and conditions are at their poorest, bringing an increased element of risk to drivers.”
What are you currently allowed to tow?
You will not be affected by the changes if you passed your car driving test before January 1, 1997.
You are usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg maximum authorised mass (MAM). You are also allowed to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM.
MAM is the limit on how much the vehicle can weigh when it’s loaded.
If you passed your car driving test from January 1, 1997, to January 18, 2013, you can currently drive either of the following:
- A car or van up to 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (up to 4,250kg in total).
- A trailer over 750kg MAM, as long as it is no more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (up to 3,500kg in total).
You would have had to pass a car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.
If you passed your car driving test from January 19, 2013, you can currently drive either of the following:
- A car or van up to 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (up to 4,250kg in total).
- A trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg.
You would have had to pass a car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.
What you can do until the towing law changes?
Until the law changes, you must continue to follow the current rules about what you are allowed to tow based on when you passed your car driving test, says DVSA.
You can be fined up to £1,000, be banned from driving and get up to six penalty points on your driving licence if you tow anything heavier before the law changes. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News
