Everything you need to know about towing

Whether it's a caravan, a horsebox, a trailer or even a boat, using your car to tow can be a handy way of transporting a part of your lifestyle from A to B. However, there are rules and regulations around towing that make it a serious business, and in order to tow safely and legally, you need to be up to date with what they are. 

What can you tow? 

Believe it or not, when it comes to what you can tow, it depends on when you passed your driving test.

If you passed…

…before 1997 

Your license allows you to legally tow with a Maximum Authorised Mass of 8.5 tonnes. This is the weight of the car, trailer, and the trailer’s contents combined.

…1997 or later

The Maximum Authorised Mass drops to 3.5 tonnes, though if the vehicle doing the towing is already 3.5 tonnes, this can increase to 4.5. In December 2021, the law changed to replace a test you needed to take in order to tow anything heavier than the limits with a new set of rules that are less strict. These enable you to tow trailers up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised mass. 

In order to tow, you need...

…to know your dimensions and your car’s capabilities 

In the UK, the maximum width of the trailer you can tow is 2.55 meters. The maximum length is 7 meters if the towing vehicle is below 3.5 tonnes in weight. 

Consult your vehicle’s handbook for information on what your vehicle is capable of towing. 

…a tow bar

For vehicles manufactured after 1998, the tow bar will need to be fitted with a European Type Approved towbar. 

...trailer brakes

If the weight of your trailer and its contents comes to over 750KG, it will need to be fitted with a fully operational braking system.

…mirrors

If whatever you’re towing is wider than the car, you still need an adequate view of the road behind you - it’s an offence to not fit extendable mirrors to your car to enable this. 

…lighting 

At the rear of all trailers, there must be two side lights, two stop lights, amber indicators, and two triangular red reflectors. If it’s more than 1.3 meters wide, they also need fog lamps at the front and back. 

…number plates

Your trailer needs to have a visible number plate, almost always matching the one for the car that is towing it. It needs to match the specification of the car’s number plate (no handwritten plates). It’ll need to be illuminated in the dark too! 

…a safe and secure load 

It maybe goes without saying that the load needs to be secure, and with no sharp edges that could cause harm.