Relaxation of Trailer Law
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By Our Legal Adviser As The Commercial Motor reported .last week, there came into operation on January 1 the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations, 1953. These effect some minor—although important—alterations in the law on the use-of trailers, amongst a host of other well publicized changes, such as the legalization of winking direction lights.
Perhaps the most important reform is that effected by RegulatiOn 2 ,(10) and 2 (12) as regards brakes and the carriage of attendants where trailers are being drawn. To the exception in the 1951 Regulations to the rule that the driver of the leading vehicle or-another person .,must be in a position to apply the trailer brakes—that this does not apply
where the trailer brakes are of the automatic type—there is added the following: "Where a motor vehicle is drawing a broken-down vehicle, whether or not in consequence of a breakdown, in such a manner that the broken-down vehicle cannot be steered by its own
steering gear."
This means simply that whenever the broken-down vehicle is so fixed -to, or suspended from, the leading vehicle that it cannot be steered, no driver or attendant need travel in the towed vehicle. If this test is not satisfied, a second driver is necessary.
If the vehicle is being towed backwards, with its rear on a cradle or hook. the position may be a little difficult. Presumably, the question is one of fact and the answer will depend on whether any real directional control is possible, or whether any marked swerving takes place without a driver. Obviously, different vehicles may give different answers.
Other innovations affecting trailers are the removal of the necessity of an attendant when a land tractor is drawing an agricultural trailer (previously the exception was only for land implements); the revocation of Regulation 93 of the 1951 Regulations, which limited the length of a heavy motorcar or motor vehicle plus trailer to 60 ft.; and an addition to the cases where no trailer attendant is necessary when the trailer is drawn by a car or Motorcycle.
This applies now not only to twowheeled trailers so drawn, but also to ,four-wheeled trailers with two " closecoupled " wheels on each side, drawn by a motorcar (not when drawn by a motorcycle). "Close coupled" is defined as meaning non-steerable wheels with a distance between the points of road contact of not more than 33 in.