Ok so I've towed a car in the past but I'm going to pick up a car which has no tax or MOT. Going to use a tow poll with a damper to lesson the load and hassle. But where do I stand in the eyes of the law?

I've tried doing a few google or alike searches but I've found nothing to say you can or cant do it.

Anyone know for sure as someone has said it's a instant 6 points on your licence, but I'm not sure if the guy is winding me up.

Solid pole with someone in the vehicle on tow is technically illegal, except to move a vehicle to a safe place in an emergancy.

Legal methods of towing:

- 1 man A-frame

- Towing dolly

- Vehicle-mounted specframe

- Transporter trailer

so if I got myself a towing dolly or the a-frame I should be keeping on the right side of he law. I know a trailer would be better but I've just not got the space for it.

Cheers

Not wanting to take the moral highground, but they're technically the only legal ways of doing the job, yes. Other point is, if you took your test after 1998 (I think?) you will only be licensed for a 750kg trailer.

What I've done on past occassions (normally for a short trip) may well differ from the letter of the law.

Edited 13 January, 200719 yr by Yeti

Cheers I think I'll either forget it or bite the bullet and pay someone to do it to be honest.

Thank you for your help though yeti.

If you was to use a dolly, it now has to have two braked wheels on. as I found out

Is that regardless of the tow vehicles unbraked capacity?

We use an unbraked dolly all the time with a vehcle that can do the best part of 2 tonnes unbraked and had no idea about that one.

a-frame is only leagal way as mentioned,.. i used a tow bar and my ex's celica GT to tow my polo home when i bought it and that had no tax 1week mot,..just i was lucky tow'd the car home during a liverpool V everton derby so was hardly any traffic haha. btw we tow'd it back about 15/20miles

hmmmm. dont s'pose anyone has a good contact in the crewe-manchester area that has good rates on delivery? Or where I might be able to hire a dolly/trailer for the day?

I was told that if you want a car moved with not MOT or Tax you need to have it trailored. Without tax and test it shouldn't be on the road and you could get fined. Cause I was planning on just towing my car back to my house with my mates Passat but I was told not to as it was highly illegal!

a-frame is only leagal way as mentioned

So dollies and trailers aren't legal?

A towing dolly is legal(depending on the towing vehicle's capacity to do such a job) as it has 2 wheels off the floor. This was how I used to take cars banger racing many years back(cars which were clearly not legal whatsoever!)

An A frame is a bit of a grey area really. Depends on how snotty the copper is on the day. I've towed cars in this way for the last two years, covered hundreds of miles and even driven past PC plod on many occasions and never been stopped.

If you look as if you're making the effort to do things right(trailer board, proper style and correct number plate, not speeding etc.) then you should be OK...

One of my mates found out the hard way with reguard to the law and the A-frames - he got 6 points and £120 fine for danagerous driving - legally an A-frame turns the car from a car into a "trailer" - if the car is heavier than 750kg then it MUST be independantly braked (in line with the same laws which apply to trailers!) - which the A-frame cant do for you!

yup, when looking into towing a car from glasgow on an A frame we discovered that the weight would put us in the illegal bracket.

we didn't tow it.

best bet is to simply find an independant garage with the kit and pay them to do it.

Rich

try a post in polo chat, its related to towing a polo yeah? and ask if anyone can sort you out with a trailer/transporter.

Well I spoke to friend in the police force and he in turn spoke to the officer in charge of the traffic cops. There has been alot of people done lately with a towing pole/rope and a-frames when people have been taking the car to say a scrappy.

I was told that a dolly or trailer is the only way to go as long as it's with in your licence allowance and your vehicle is able to tow the weight. He said the front wheels HAVE to be off the ground and no-one is allowed in the car being towed (which is common sense I would have thought?).

So I have a choice of getting a dolly or trailer, anyone no where I can rent one for the day?

HSS? http://www.hss.com/g/60257/Car_Transporter...ler_2000kg.html

Though, legally speaking, as it's a 2 tonne trailer, you'll probably need B+E on your license. Or an old person driving.

Cheers yeti. I have the oldier driving licence as I'm getting to be an old man! lol

Take the engine out to save weight, and pull it on a rope. Then youre not towing a trailer!