When does a car become a trailer?
Discussion
One to excercise the DVD et al brains.. 
Somewhat similar to gently bentley's recent thread however this case involves a largeish motorhome towing a small car using an A-frame.
Now I reckon in those circumstances the towed vehicle stops being a vehicle and becomes a trailer.
The motorhome and the towed vehicle/trailer had the same VRNs.
Now I can accept that changing the VRN plate on the back of the towed vehicle/trailer is a neat way of displaying the VRN of the towing vehicle.
However also changing the front plate of the towed vehicle/trailer? Is it just my nose twitching or is some jiggerypokery potentially afoot?
By the way of additional background information there was no VED disc (that I could see) in windscreen of towed vehicle/trailer.
No automatic reverse over run brake system in evidence, nor linking of towed vehicle brakes to towing vehicle system, so that again disqualifies it from being considered a legal trailer in my view.
Gross weight of towed vehicle/trailer was > 750kg so that precludes it being considered an unbraked trailer.
Oh yes, nearly forgot, at one point at ~85 mph in lane 3!!
I'm just trying to work out how many and exactly which laws were being broken...
Somewhat similar to gently bentley's recent thread however this case involves a largeish motorhome towing a small car using an A-frame.
Now I reckon in those circumstances the towed vehicle stops being a vehicle and becomes a trailer.
The motorhome and the towed vehicle/trailer had the same VRNs.
Now I can accept that changing the VRN plate on the back of the towed vehicle/trailer is a neat way of displaying the VRN of the towing vehicle.
However also changing the front plate of the towed vehicle/trailer? Is it just my nose twitching or is some jiggerypokery potentially afoot?
By the way of additional background information there was no VED disc (that I could see) in windscreen of towed vehicle/trailer.
No automatic reverse over run brake system in evidence, nor linking of towed vehicle brakes to towing vehicle system, so that again disqualifies it from being considered a legal trailer in my view.
Gross weight of towed vehicle/trailer was > 750kg so that precludes it being considered an unbraked trailer.
Oh yes, nearly forgot, at one point at ~85 mph in lane 3!!
I'm just trying to work out how many and exactly which laws were being broken...
Ahhh fif tis a wet day down your end and your kicking your heels and wishing you were in God's country with Bro slecking the thirst with a John Smith's.?
Your American an combo....
Indeed the small vehicle IMHO at the back becomes a trailer (a vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle Reg 3 C&U Regs).
Whilst it is a trailer it is also a motor vehicle providing it is not in such a state that it cannot be repaired and owner has no intention of doing so. So as
a motor vehicle MOT and Excise required. May be also Insurance if the Insurance of the drawing vehicle does not cover.
Number plates. Requirement is that trailer should be so equipped with that of the drawing vehicle at the rear only. Likewise lighting/reflectors. That at the rear of the drawer should be repeated.
Now the headache part.......brakes. I have long since given up trying to resolve such matters and admit defeat primarily because Con and Use are tied in the EEC Regs and you need a ford yard (1) to spread items out because they refer back and forward like Wakefield Rugby players on a bad day.
Go to
www.tinyurl.com/38ojga
which gives the NI equivilant of UK Con and Use and almost mirrors them
Go to Reg 20 - 25 and work it out. Note 25(2)(b). Does this apply.?
Note (1)
Leave you to explain to the sartherners what this is...
dvd
Your American an combo....
Indeed the small vehicle IMHO at the back becomes a trailer (a vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle Reg 3 C&U Regs).
Whilst it is a trailer it is also a motor vehicle providing it is not in such a state that it cannot be repaired and owner has no intention of doing so. So as
a motor vehicle MOT and Excise required. May be also Insurance if the Insurance of the drawing vehicle does not cover.
Number plates. Requirement is that trailer should be so equipped with that of the drawing vehicle at the rear only. Likewise lighting/reflectors. That at the rear of the drawer should be repeated.
Now the headache part.......brakes. I have long since given up trying to resolve such matters and admit defeat primarily because Con and Use are tied in the EEC Regs and you need a ford yard (1) to spread items out because they refer back and forward like Wakefield Rugby players on a bad day.
Go to
www.tinyurl.com/38ojga
which gives the NI equivilant of UK Con and Use and almost mirrors them
Go to Reg 20 - 25 and work it out. Note 25(2)(b). Does this apply.?
Note (1)
Leave you to explain to the sartherners what this is...
dvd
Christ knows a real muddle.
I reckon offences as follows.
Speed OPL, check
lane 3, check
Lighting offences, check, (in mitigation one could see the rear position, indicators, reflectors of towing vehicle, even probably when standing at a position 6m behind, however manufactured after 1990 and I'm sure the overall length of the trailer meant that imho the lights should have been repeated at the rear using trailer board. Certainly no triangular reflectors in place so that's another offence)
VED offence failure to display, check. (Note:-Vehicle certainly didn't look as if broken down, but who knows, so in this case I'd go for that. Still think display of towing vehicle VRN front and rear of towed vehicle is mega dodgy.)
Lack of trailer braking, check? (I'd say yes but depends *. Needs testing in court)
* To my knowledge the only type of vehicle on the market which is light enough to be towed in this manner unbraked is the AIXAM and similar stupid micro cars. The problem is the towed vehicle was a Smartfortwo, which unladen is 730kg, but as I undestand it it's not the ulw which counts in this respect but the max weight which for the Smart is 990kg. Ref DVD link para 21, 3 (c). a trailer which has a maximum total design axle weight that does not exceed 750 kg; Of course if claimed that vehicle broken down all bets are off relating to braking.
I reckon offences as follows.
Speed OPL, check
lane 3, check
Lighting offences, check, (in mitigation one could see the rear position, indicators, reflectors of towing vehicle, even probably when standing at a position 6m behind, however manufactured after 1990 and I'm sure the overall length of the trailer meant that imho the lights should have been repeated at the rear using trailer board. Certainly no triangular reflectors in place so that's another offence)
VED offence failure to display, check. (Note:-Vehicle certainly didn't look as if broken down, but who knows, so in this case I'd go for that. Still think display of towing vehicle VRN front and rear of towed vehicle is mega dodgy.)
Lack of trailer braking, check? (I'd say yes but depends *. Needs testing in court)
* To my knowledge the only type of vehicle on the market which is light enough to be towed in this manner unbraked is the AIXAM and similar stupid micro cars. The problem is the towed vehicle was a Smartfortwo, which unladen is 730kg, but as I undestand it it's not the ulw which counts in this respect but the max weight which for the Smart is 990kg. Ref DVD link para 21, 3 (c). a trailer which has a maximum total design axle weight that does not exceed 750 kg; Of course if claimed that vehicle broken down all bets are off relating to braking.
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