just wondering if towing on the motorway is legal using a solid bar?

as far as I'm aware towing with a rope is legal if its just to tow off the motorway?

I think you are only allowed to tow to the next exit with either a rope or solid bar, if you need to go further then you need to have a suspended tow or a trailer

Transporting a car on a pole is illegal. The exception being recovery of a breakdown.

thats what i mean.. like say i breakdown on the motorway at ... manchester..... can i be towed with a solid bar home? or just off the motorway and then get a truck?

Towed off the motorway to the next exit then you can tow for as long as you like on the normal roads with either a bar or rope, but a bar is the safest option!

I'm not aware of that rule.

sorry for adding when i'm not sure but i thought towing with ropes anywhere was illigal, i thought it had to be a rigid for normal roads

Tow ropes are not illegal as such but from the Police National Database -

"When the vehicles are attached solely by a rope or chain, the maximum distance allowed between the vehicles is 4.5 metres.

If the distance between the two vehicles exceeds 1.5 metres then the rope or chain must be made clearly visible within a reasonable distance from either side to other road users. This is usually done by tying a coloured flapping cloth in the middle of the rope or chain.

The person in the broken down vehicle must be a qualified driver as he is actually driving the vehicle. A further point is that if it is dark then the broken down vehicle must have its lights on as it would under normal circumstances."

Note: Vehicles are only to be towed on motorways, for the minimum distance necessary, to reach a place of safety where recovery may be effected by a recovery vehicle.

So you can only tow a car on a motroway to a 'place of saftey' (next exit).

Also,

40A A person is guilty of an offence if he uses, or causes or permits another to use, a motor vehicle or trailer on a road when:

(a) the condition of the motor vehicle or trailer, or of its accessories or equipment, or

(b) the purpose for which it is used, or

© the number of passengers carried by it, or the manner in which they are carried, or

(d) the weight, position or distribution of its load, or the manner in which it is secured,

is such that the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to any person.

So you can tow on a rope but just don't be stupid like towing 20 miles on a bit of gash rope... Asking for trouble!

ah right.. cheers :) just going to RTTS which is about a 1000 mile round trip next week and dont fancy being broken down on the motorway when i could be partying so i was just gonna take a tow bar then if any of us break down we could tow each other there and fix the car while its there

The other thing to remember is, if the car being towed exceeds 3/4 of the weight of the tow car you are limited to towing @ 30mph