You
vehicle is longer and heavier and all your load
is anchored to your vehicle at one small point.
Like an airline pilot you must regularly
check the condition of your trailer
and linkage to make sure that you arrive safely
and with everything that you had at the start of
your journey.
Loading
your trailer or caravan is critical to safe driving
as is the knowledge of your towing weights and capacity
for your vehicle. Getting this wrong can cost you
dearly.
You can buy towing scales which measure the total
weight of your towed load to make sure that it doesn't
exceed the capacity of your vehicle but equally
important is to make sure that your load is spread
evenly.
The following was submitted to CLIC by Ian Willis
in answer to an inquiry about the 85% beginners
towing rule. It was generally thought within CLIC,
that Ian's words helped to clarify the situation
as regards to towing in Great Britain.
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85% (or even 100%) rules are not "rules" but guidelines
which have no substance in law. They are designed to ensure
that the outfit will be stable (all other factors being
equal). Exceeding this figure, whilst not illegal in itself,
COULD lead to prosecution if the driver was stopped because
of (say) instability or after an accident as there is
a requirement on the driver to ensure the safety of his
vehicle in the Construction and Use Regulations.
