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Q In an answer to a question the 0 and A
Page 49
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bureau said that "there is no law against a heavier vehicle than the towing vehicle being towed but the maximum train weight of the two vehicles must not exceed 24 tons". Can you explain the reason for this? I thought that the maximum train weight for a combination of vehicles was 32 tons and in any case one can often see heavily loaded vehicles being towed by other vehicles which must have total combined weights far in excess of either 24 tons or 32 tons.
AIn the instances when you have seen vehicles on tow with a total weight which appears to be above the maximum gross train weight an offence is being committed.
Section 73(a) of The Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1969 states that "in the case of a wheeled trailer drawn by a wheeled motor tractor, wheeled heavy motor car or wheeled motor car, the total laden weight of the trailer together with that of the drawing vehicle may equal, but shall not exceed. 24 tons." For the purposes of these regulations a broken-down vehicle is considered to be a trailer, hence our statement that the total gross weight must not exceed 24 tons.
The regulations (73(b)) go on to qualify the above section as follows: "Where the trailer is fitted with power-assisted brakes which can be operated by the driver of the drawing vehicle and are not rendered ineffective by the nonrotation of the engine of the drawing vehicle, the total laden weight of the trailer together with that of the drawing vehicle, if the drawing vehicle is equipped with a warning device so placed as to be readily visible to the driver when in the driving seat in order to indicate an impending failure or deficiency in the vacuum or pressure system, may equal, but not exceed, 32 tons".
You will see from this that the 32-ton-gross maximum only applies when power assisted brakes can be operated by the driver of the towing vehicle and under most normal circumstances this cannot be done when one vehicle is towing another broken-down vehicle. The weight limit therefore under such circumstances is 24 tons. In the regulations there are no exemptions which would enable the weights to be exceeded for this purpose. The only way in which this weight limit can be exceeded is if the towing vehicle is classed as a locomotive lie a vehicle which itself is not constructed to carry a load and the unladen weight of which exceeds 711,tons) in which case the total weight of the trailers whether laden or unladen "shall not exceed 40 tons" (Section 69 of the same regulations).