Understanding UK Towing Laws

Before you set out on any journey where you are towing a caravan or a trailer of any kind, you need to be familiar with the relevant laws, to ensure both yours and other road users’ safety. If you are not sure about what you can and cannot tow, you can find lots of useful information about towing laws on the Government’s website.

 To help you to understand the UK towing laws, we have listed the basic laws and important information you should be aware of:

• Towing rules vary depending on when you passed your test, with drivers who passed their test before 1 January 1997 usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination of up to 8,250kg MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass).

• For drivers who passed after 1 January 1997, there is usually a combined 3,500kg MAM. You can check the back of your driver license to check the categories on your license.

• For drivers with a limit of 3,500kg who want to tow with a heavier combined weight, they would need to take a category B+E driving test.

• The maximum trailer width for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres.

• The maximum length for a trailer (towed by a vehicle weighing a maximum 3,550kg) is 7 metres.

• You should check your vehicle’s gross train weight to find out the maximum weight it can tow. You can get advice on this in another blog of ours which you can read here.

• Gross train weight includes the weight of all loads in your vehicle, such as passengers, luggage, etc. So, be careful to ensure your gross weight train won’t get exceeded by these weights that you might not have considered in your calculation.

• Speed limits for when towing caravans or trailers are lower:

Single carriageways - 50mph (instead of 60mph)

Dual carriageways - 60 mph (instead of 70mph)

Motorways - 60 mph (instead of 70mph)

• Your towing bar must be ‘type approved’ meeting EU regulations.

• Towing mirrors must be fitted if the trailer/caravan is wider than the rear of your car. If you don’t own any towing mirrors, we sell some here.

• The number plate on your caravan must show your car’s registration number and be illuminated at night, conforming to the British Standard.

• Your rear light panel must be working and visible.

Make sure that you are fully compliant with the UK towing laws by buying your towbar and other accessories such as towing mirrors, from a reputable supplier such as PF Jones. All our products, including towbars and accessories, meet the required standards. 

Shop for towbars

PF Jones provides a towbar fitting service to ensure that caravan owners can have peace of mind that their towbar has been professionally fitted and adheres to all relevant UK laws. 

We can answer any questions you may have about your weight restrictions and give you additional advice for towing caravans safely, including essential accessories and best practices.

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