The recovery of disabled vehicles 1
Page 76
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THE RECOVERY OF brokendown vehicles has become a very specialist activity, particularly where the recovery involves a heavy commercial vehicle disabled on a motorway.
Apart from the legal requirements of the operation, there is always a real risk of the wrecker and its crew being run over by fast moving traffic, which passes, unheeded, all the warning signs displayed.
As well as the recovery of vehicles from motorways by sophisticated wreckers, many CM readers will, from time to time,
tow a lorry which has broken down a few miles down the road back to their depot using any odd vehicle which may be in the yard at that particular time.
The law on this subject is complex and, to understand what can be done without contravening the regulations, the definitions of the various types of vehicles must be examined. Section 190 of the Road Traffic Act 1 972 defines the relevant types in the following Nay:
Heavy locomotive: mechanically propelled vehicle not itself ::onstructed to carry a load, the unladen weight of which exceeds 11.7 tonnes (11 tons). Basically, this is the hauling rather than ..:arrying type of vehicle.
Light locomotive: same as heavy locomotive but between 7.4 and 11.7 tonnes (7.25 and 11.5 tons) unladen weight.
Vlotor tractor: as for the locomotive classes but under 7.4 tonnes 7.25 tons) unladen weight.
-leavy motor car and motor car: vehicles constructed to carry a oad, heavy motor cars being over 3.04 tonnes (three tons) and notor cars under 3.04 tonnes (three tons) unladen weight.
Trailer: a vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle (S253 Road Traffic Act 960).
From the last definition it will be seen that, when a motor vehicle 3 towed, it becomes a trailer, so all the laws concerning trailers lust be observed. An artic, on tow, must be considered as two "ailers: the tractive unit is one trailer and the semi-trailer is the ther.
Regulation 136 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Iegulations, 1973 lays down the number of trailers which may be rawn by various types of vehicles in the following way: icomotive — three; motor tractor — one if laden, two if unladen; eavy motor cars and motor cars — one.
The same regulation makes a concession by stating that a rokendown articulated vehicle may be regarded as one trailer rovided it is unladen. Where a vehicle is being towed with the aid f an ambulance or -tow boyand the towing vehicle is a motor car r heavy car, the combination may be treated as one trailer if the iwed vehicle rests on, or is suspended from, the towing impment.
To summarise, only locomotives may tow laden artics; heavy lotor cars, motor cars and tractors can only tow artics if they are iladen. Motor cars and heavy motor cars ma y draw two trailers if le of the trailers is a towing implement and the other is a vehicle sting on or suspended from the towing implement. The total length of vehicles and tra is limited by the C and U Regulatii Regulation 68 limits the length of tral to 7m (approximately 23ft) and, in st cases, to 12m (39.4ft) but spe exemption is made for brokendc vehicles being towed after the breakdo Regulation 128 states that the ora length of a motor vehicle and one trt
must not exceed 18m (59ft) but, agai special exemption is made for bre downs, so there is no restriction on total length of a breakdown lorry towing a brokendown rigid t vehicle.
Where two trailers are being drawn, eg when an artic i& be towed, the maximum permitted length is 25.9m (85ft) uni special conditions are met.
Max length
The towing vehicle must not exceed 9.2m (30.2ft) 1 maximum length of an articulated vehicle is 15m (49.2ft). Tak the recovery lorry at its maximum permitted length of 9.2m (30.. and a towed artic at its maximum of 15m (49.2ft), this makes a tt length of 24.2m (79.4ft) which leaves 1.7m (5. 6ft) for the drawt
This is not very long for a drawbar, but in most cases breakdown lorry will be a fairly short wheelbase vehicle, not up the maximum length permitted which will allow a longer length the drawbar than the 1.7m (5.6ft) referred to.
While dealing with drawbars it might be as well to consider maximum permitted length between the towing vehicle and brokendown one. When a chain or rope is used, the distar between the two vehicles must not exceed 4.5m (14.7ft). W other means of attachment no maximum distance is laid down 1 the distance must not be such that danger is caused.
If the distance between the two vehicles exceeds 1.5m (4.9 irrespective of whether a rope, chain or rigid drawbar is used, I means of attachment must be rendered clearly visible. Nothing laid down as to how this should be done, but painting a drawba bright colour, or with black and yellow stripes, or tying a red rag ti rope, or chain seems to be the sensible way of complying with ti requirement.
Apart from all other considerations, the towing vehicle used mt not be so unsuitable as to cause or be likely to cause danger nuisance to any person (Regulation 90, C and U Regulations).
Example
To take an extreme and perhaps absurd example, suppose a Lay Rover was used to recover a maximum weight rigid eight-wheel fully laden. A dangerous situation would arise because of the difference in the vehicles' weights. One would expect the outfit jack-knife when travelling downhill and to be unable to cope wi the load when travelling uphill, and a prosecution under Regulatii would be almost certain.
-On townotices are often displayed at the rear of brokendor vehicles. There is no legal requirement for such notices to displayed but there is nothing against doing so, and it seems senstle precaution to warn other traffic wishing to overtake of t unusual length of the combination.
Strictly speaking, the number plate at the rear of the tow vehicle should be the same as the front number plate of t breakdown lorry. If trade plates are used, this presents no difficu for it is a simple matter to remove the rear plate from the breakdo) lorry and fix it to the rear of the vehicle being towed.