Legalities on towing a car with a rigid bar?

[Handie Andy]

My dad has asked if he could put his front end damaged car on my drive. It was stolen last year and it rear ended another car, has been sat on his drive ever since.

He wants me to be sat in the car being towed, as i only passed my test last November i don't want to break any laws. There seems to be mixed comments!.

The car has no tax, insurance, mot, it will be a one way journey to my house (3 miles) where it will eventually be fixed. As far as my insurance goes i went with the box you insure, so my policy states i am not covered to drive another car. On the other hand i am not driving right?.

[kambites]

As I understand it, it's illegal to tow a car without tax (unless it's on a trailer), regardless of whether you're insured or not.

[EDLT]

So he left it sat on his drive for months, his solution is to leave it on your drive instead?

Tell him to ps off.

[HorneyMX5]

If your Dad has the capacity to Tow just rent a trailer for the day. Fully legal and less hassle all round.

NIck

[MJK 24]

The car isn't tax, insured, MOT'd nor roadworthy due to bodywork damage - Plod will rightly take you to the cleaners. It needs to be trailered.

[Handie Andy]

kambites said:

As I understand it, it's illegal to tow a car without tax (unless it's on a trailer), regardless of whether you're insured or not.

This is what i read also, but then i also read that someone made a phone call to the local bib who didn't "know" and i think another poster on another forum said their local bib said its fine, as long as its going on a one way trip. The car displayed a 'on tow' sign with the towing cars reg plate and signals are operational.

EDLT said:

So he left it sat on his drive for months, his solution is to leave it on your drive instead?

Tell him to ps off.

I actually asked awhile back if i could get it road worthy again. Back then it was a NO, he has now changed his mind. He has/had no motivation to get it done, having to do 100 mile round trips to work every day he just bought a new car and never looked back.

Its just a weekend thing to keep me busy!

[saaby93]

full discussion here
http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

[R1 Indy]

Im sure you will be fine if only a few miles.


When i needed to move my part build kitcar (7), which was litterally just a rolling chassis with a steering wheel and brakes. It didn't even have a seat.

We tied a rope around the front chassis to a disco, and towed it 5 miles.

It did get some attention from passers by (positive), and a police car going the other way didn't bother to stop us to have words, so couldn't be that bad.

But i did end up with a massivly bruised head, as everytime he set off, there was a massive jolt and i would fly back into the roll bar!

[Gafferjim]

The police car must have been going to something more urgent or you would have got it's attention. As has already been said a number of times, if you want to stay legal, put it on a trailer, if you want to chance it.............up to you!

[Handie Andy]

saaby93 said:

full discussion here
http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

Cheers saaby i missed that.

[lgw]

As you only passed your test a couple of months ago you can't afford to get any endorsements so do as the other posters have suggested and get your old man to trailer it to where ever it needs to go if you get 6 points you've just lost your licence

[saaby93]

surely any legilities wont be around insurance issues due to this trump card in the RTA

Jimmyarm said:

Reading the RTA with my laymans eyes, I draw the conclusion that when a car is being towed it becomes a 'trailer' by definition.

At the bottom of this bit;

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/sectio...

" “trailer” means a vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle. "

Wont the legalities be around towing weights?
see FAQs in 'this forum' at the top of the page
ETA
and construction and use - eg if a doors jammed open so he wipes out every pedestrian along the way

Edited by saaby93 on Tuesday 24th January 13:13

[Handie Andy]

If the above is correct then the towing weights could be the only issue here.

As the person towing the car has a Mondeo and the car to be towed is an Astra estate.

My only concern is for me being the 'steersman' being only 3 months in after passing my test i don't want to acquire any endorsements.

[saaby93]

Presumably as it has no tax and no insurance it's been declared SORN?
A SORN declaration means it wont be used on the road until it is taxed and insured - so there are a few more definitions to go into there.
SORN it and to avoid argument trailer - but watch the towing weights

[daz3210]

I could be wrong, but I thought a mechanically disabled vehicle being towed was exempt from towing weights.

[Ledaig]

R1 Indy said:

When i needed to move my part build kitcar (7), which was litterally just a rolling chassis with a steering wheel and brakes. It didn't even have a seat.

Gafferjim said:

The police car must have been going to something more urgent or you would have got it's attention.

No engine or gearbox? Doesn't sound like a motor vehicle to me!

And depending on if the chassis was or wasn't from a donor vehicle it may not have even been registered.