Towing a trailer or caravan

By the end of this topic you can

• You can check whether your licence lets you tow a particular trailer.
• You can find your car's towing limits and the trailer's maximum authorised mass.
• You can load a trailer safely and carry out basic pre-journey checks.
• You can drive with a trailer within the correct speed limits and lanes.
• You can deal with snaking and understand the basics of reversing with a trailer.

What you need to know and understand

• If you got your car licence from 1 January 1997, you can tow a trailer up to 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass (MAM). This is category BE (gov.uk).
• If you got your licence before 1 January 1997, you can usually drive a vehicle and trailer with a combined weight up to 8,250 kg MAM (gov.uk).
• You MUST NOT tow more than your licence allows, and should not tow more than the car manufacturer recommends (Highway Code rule 98).
• Speed limits when towing: 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways and motorways, or lower where signed (rule 124).
• You MUST NOT use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes when towing a trailer (rule 265).
• Fit suitable towing mirrors if your trailer or caravan is wider than the rear of your car. You can be fined up to £1,000 and get 3 points for towing without them (gov.uk).
• A trailer over 750 kg when loaded must have a working brake system, and you must use a breakaway cable or secondary coupling (gov.uk).
• The trailer must display the same number plate as the towing car (gov.uk).

Weights and limits in plain English

MAM is the most a vehicle or trailer can weigh when fully loaded. You will find it in the handbook or on a plate on the vehicle or trailer. Your car also has a maximum towing weight, and its gross train weight is the most the loaded car and loaded trailer together can weigh. If the car's VIN plate shows no train weight, you should not use it for towing.

For cars up to 3,500 kg MAM, the trailer can be no longer than 7 metres, and no trailer can be wider than 2.55 metres. Towing bars on cars first used from 1 August 1998 must be type-approved for your car.

Hitching up and loading

Before every trip, check that the coupling is secure and the breakaway cable or secondary coupling is attached, the trailer's lights and brakes work, and the tyres are legal and correctly inflated.

• Spread the load evenly, with heavy items over the trailer's axle or axles.
• Keep a downward load on the tow ball, within the manufacturer's limit (often called nose weight).
• Secure the load so it cannot shift or stick out dangerously.
• Adjust your headlights if the load tips the car's nose up.
• Fit towing mirrors if you cannot see properly behind.

On the road with a trailer

Your car will be slower to speed up and take longer to stop, so leave a much bigger gap. Take bends and junctions wider and slower, and allow far more room to overtake. Give cyclists and motorcyclists plenty of space (rule 160).

If the trailer starts to swerve or snake, ease off the accelerator and reduce speed gently, and do not brake harshly (rule 98). Avoid sharp steering corrections too. Snaking is more likely with poor loading, high speed and strong side winds.

Reversing basics

Reversing a trailer feels backwards at first, because the trailer turns the opposite way to the car's rear. A simple method is to hold the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand in the direction you want the back of the trailer to go. Go very slowly, make small corrections, and get out and look if you are unsure. Training courses are available and are strongly recommended before towing anything large.

Common mistakes

• Assuming any car can tow any trailer. Check the licence, car towing limit and train weight first.
• Putting heavy items at the back of a caravan. Load heavy items low and over the axle.
• Braking hard when the trailer snakes. Ease off gently instead.
• Driving at 70 mph on the motorway. The limit when towing is 60 mph.
• Using the outside lane of a three-lane motorway. It is not allowed when towing.

Test yourself: Towing a trailer or caravan

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Towing After Your Car Test