Towing Laws: Safe and Legal Boat Towing
Towing Laws: Safe and Legal Boat Towing
Here at Towergate Insurance, we understand that your boat isn’t
always going to be in the water. We understand that there will be
times when you will need to transport your craft over land. The
most cost effective way of doing this would be to trail your boat
yourself. The following guide outlines a few key rules and
regulations that are in place to help you to transport your boat
safely and avoid any run-ins with the long arm of the law!
It’s the Law!
First off
you need to know what you’re towing and the type of license
required to tow it. This will be dependent upon a number of factors
including width, length, weight and when you first got your
drivers license.
If you received your full drivers license
before the 1st January 1997, the rules are simple.
You can drive any vehicle/trailer combination up to 8.25 tons.
A regular drivers license gained after the 1st
January 1997 enables you to tow loads which fit the following
criteria;
Weight
- Your trailer is less than 750kgs and is being towed by a
vehicle of up 3.5 tons
- Additionally, you may tow a trailer that is over 750Kg provided
the weight of the trailer and load does not exceed the unladen
weight of the towing vehicle
Length and width
- If you are towing using an ordinary car, your trailer must not
exceed 7m in length
- The combined length of vehicle and trailer must not exceed 18m
if your vehicle was built before the 1st June 1998. If your vehicle
was built after that date the total length must not exceed
18.75m
- A trailer must not exceed 2.3m in width
Visibility
- If your boat protrudes more than 305mm over any edge of your
trailer you are required to affix special markers to make other
road users aware of this extra width. Take special care with boats
which include protruding outboard motors or masts.
Brakes
A trailer
without brakes must be below 750kgs or 50% of the towing vehicles
weight- Larger trailers with brakes should not exceed 85% of the weight
of the towing vehicle (this is a general rule but is not included
in any legislation)
Speed
Check your speed – vehicles towing
anything at all are restricted to 60mph on motorways and dual
carriage ways and 50mph on single carriage ways.
Penalties
Failure
to comply with the above rules could mean that you face a maximum
of 9 points on your license, a £1000 fine or even a driving
ban. Anyone injured by a vehicle or trailer which
contravenes the law could make a civil claim against the owner
of the vehicle/trailer.
Recommended insurance
It is recommended that your towing vehicle and trailing cargo
should be insured separately. Liability for damage
caused by the boat or trailer whilst attached to the vehicle or
accidently detached from the vehicle should be covered by the third
party liability cover of your vehicle insurance.
But what happens when damage is caused to your boat whilst being
trailed? In the unfortunate event that this should happen, you will
need to have your boat insured in the most complete way
possible.
Towergate Insurance offer a range (bronze to platinum) of
different levels of cover. If you tow your boat regularly we advise
that you consider the following.
- Silver cover – covers your boat against theft
and third party liability*
- Gold and platinum cover – covers
your boat against damage during transit as well as the cover
provided by the silver package*
*Subject to underwrititing critera
For more information please visit our dedicated boat insurance page.
For more in depth information on
towing your craft, please see the RYA’s extensive document on
towing.
