Was my mate talking crap?

MrKeeno

MrKeeno

MrKeeno

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Derry
Yesturday I broke down on the way home :(

I called my mate to see if he would come and tow me home, he said he would and that he would be there in about 20 mins. He didnt sound at all fused about comming though. About 5 mins later I get a call from him saying that he wouldnt be comming because he wasnt insured to tow a car :confused:

Ive never heard of this, TBH i just think that he couldnt be arsed and was thinking up excuses?
 
If your towing a car with a rope or bar, then the towed car needs a driver, and both drivers simply need their normal insurance (AFAIK).

Only problem I could imagine, would be using a driverless towing rig, which drags the towed car like a trailer. In that case someone with a 1997 or later license could be unlicensed to tow it, as they changed the towing regs (Previously class E was included on car license. Without Class E, you can only tow 750kg)
 
Corasik said:
as they changed the towing regs (Previously class E was included on car license. Without Class E, you can only tow 750kg)
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It's something like You can only tow the weight of the car or 750kg, or something, I can't remeber now to be honest. I'd have thought that insurance-wise it'd be fine, license-wise I don't know. I have been in a car that was being towed, both my mate (driving the front car) and I had insurance on our cars and UK licenses after 97. Didn't meet any police etc. so have no clue to it being legal or not :p

InvG
 
To make what I said a little clearer, with a B+E (pre September 1997) car license you can tow a trailer with a weight the same (more or less) as the towing vehicle. The same licenses include C1 and C1E, which allows driving of light goods vehicles up to 7.5 Tons.

After September 1997, the car license only includes B (plus a few minor things).

However, the towing weights only apply to trailers. Towing another car by rope/chain/bar is fine as long as there is another licensed driver behind the wheel of the towed car to steer and brake.

Its only those elevated towing rigs, that elevate the front wheels, allowing an unmanned tow that require the 'E' category on the drivers license. (as the unmanned back car is then considered a trailer).

So assuming a standard rope tow, I cant imagine any insurance policy excluding it.
 
I thought I could answer this but, Corasik has worded it better than I could! :o

As for busman's mate, he's talking crap imo! :D
 
Just pulled out my policy doc and it says:

We will also insure you while the insured car is towing a caravan, trailer or broken-down car, as long as the towing is allowed by law and the caravan, trailer, or broken-down car is attached properly to the insured car by towing equipment made for this purpose.
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That suggests ten feet of nylon rope might invalidate the insurance, but a proper setup is fine.


M
 
I am now well confused my green paper licence ( don't have a new plastic one ) dated 1976 has groups A ,D and E


with A being a car ect
D motor cycle
E a moped

Can someone explain this to me
 
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