Can I tow a car to a local garage?

[768]

Clutch seems to have gone, pedal goes straight to the floor.

I've got a tow rope/belt, it's about 4 miles to the garage (two roundabouts, a short section of dual carriageway but otherwise just a straight run of single carriageway).

Before I get my wife in trouble with the police, it is legal, right?

[Jediworrier]

I was told recently you are no longer allowed to tow using a rope. If this is true I appear to have missed any publicity of this.

[Mammasaid]

Yes

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q558.htm

[768]

Mammasaid said:

Yes

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q558.htm

Thanks. These are the two areas I've seen questioned:

The article said:

Make sure the person driving the towing vehicle has a licence that covers them to drive the combination of vehicles – legally a towed vehicle remains a motor vehicle but is also a trailer when towed.

AIUI my post-1997 car licence only lets me (same for my wife) tow a trailer up to 750kg.

The article said:

Towing a vehicle is potentially very dangerous and should only be done for the minimum distance necessary.

And I'm not stranded on a motorway, but my own drive, does that qualify as necessary? I'd say yes, but...

[TonyRPH]

Should you end up towing, if possible start the engine and leave it running so as to enable power steering and servo assisted brakes.

It's rather easy to be caught out by the amount of pedal pressure required to brake with no engine running at 20mph+.

Where I live (Leeds) I've had a car recovered over a similar distance for £45 - surely that's the better option?

[Jediworrier]

bluezedd said:

Jediworrier said:

I was told recently you are no longer allowed to tow using a rope. If this is true I appear to have missed any publicity of this.

This is a myth that seems to not die.

Thanks,it was a chap from Green Flag that told me this when he recovered one of my vehicles recently.

[R8Steve]

Jediworrier said:

bluezedd said:

Jediworrier said:

I was told recently you are no longer allowed to tow using a rope. If this is true I appear to have missed any publicity of this.

This is a myth that seems to not die.

Thanks,it was a chap from Green Flag that told me this when he recovered one of my vehicles recently.

No vested interest at all there of course.

[Jediworrier]

R8Steve said:

No vested interest at all there of course.

Yep,did make me smile, good job my membership is free.

[A205GTI]

Do your local garage not offer this service?

Mine does, Maybe worth asking them

[MarcoD]

Just drive it there?

Rev match when changing gear and away you go. It's not as difficult as it sounds - many years ago I drove a Mondeo with a failed master cylinder almost 200 miles home with no clutch. Starting off is the tricky bit but once moving it's okay.

[768]

Garage have said they can look at it if I can get it there, but they can't help get it there.

I've an uphill start and odds are I'll also have to stop at the first roundabout so I suspect I'm not getting there under my own steam.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Isn't it easier to just drive the car? If the clutch is permanently engaged you can drive the car as long as there's not too much traffic.

Starting off is is the only tricky bit. Pop it in gear then turn the starter. Thereafter just match the revs.

(When I was a yoof I drove around for six weeks with no clutch.....terrified my mother!)

Just a thought.

[konark]

I doubt it's your clutch , probably a broken clutch cable or failure of the hydraulic system.

[768]

I'm pretty sure it's hydraulic. As I was when I took it to the garage last month and asked them to check it while I could still use it. They told me it was fine.

[V8RX7]

Unless your wife is 1 in 1,000,000 do NOT under any circumstances tow her.

As the son of a classic car dealer I have some great experiences towing / being towed and luckily heard many stories before I did.

If you don't have a switched on mate (who is insured) get it recovered.

[768]

Other way around, she'd be towing me, we'd probably be on a handsfree call the whole way so I can continually advise her on driving technique.

[RTB]

From what you've said and what I've just read, unless the car you're towing is less than 750kg (unlikely) then you don't have a licence to tow the vehicle. I'd be phoning up a couple of local recovery firms and see how much they want to either tow it or put it on a flatbed. Then at least you can make the decision as to whether it's worth the risk.

I've towed and been towed quite a few times and it's not a nice experience, even if those involved know what they're doing, if you or your Mrs have never towed before then you might be in for some entertainment to say the least

[768]

I've been towed once before, further, but it was some years ago and because I was being towed by a recovery guy I didn't have the legal worry.

[768]

A friend, I forget his name, towed it to the garage for me, so it's done now anyway.

[sospan]

A friend of unknown name?
PMSL!