Towing a trailer and the Laws

Many people are unsure or simply unaware of how trailer towing laws have changed in the past 10 years. Below you will find a simplified summary to try and help you understand and obtain the correct licence for you needs.

In all the offical literrature you will come across the term 'MAM'. This simply stands for Maximum Authorised Mass. In other words the maximum weight of the towing vehicle and the maximum weight of the trailer (including load) added together (gross weight).

Since 1st January 1997

If you obtained your driving licence after 1st January 1997 you will have to take and pass the B+E car and trailer test.

As the law stands today, a driver without a B+E licence can tow a trailer, providing the gross weight of the trailer is less than the un-laden weight of the towing vehicle. The whole combination must weigh less than 3500kgs in total (most horsebox towing setups exceed this)

Exemption

A post '97 licence holder can however tow a trailer with a gross weight of around 1500kgs, providing the towing vehicle and trailor are carefully matched. If this matching is not done correctly, it will fail to comply with the exemption, resulting in the driver being unlicensed and uninsured. In a court of law this could carry a maximum of 9 penalty points and £1000 fine and in some cases even a ban.  

For the official information on the regulations go to; http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022564