On 07/10/2011 13:43, Steve Walker wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 07/10/2011 11:27, Jim S wrote:
I asked this question in another group and no-one came up with a
definitive
current answer. The most recent legal(ish) answer was dated 2008

" I was informed last evening that it is illegal to tow a broken down
vehicle with a rope and it has to be a solid tow-bar. Is this true?"


Towing is covered by the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations
1986, which, in Regulation 85 (1), states:

'Where a trailer is attached to the vehicle immediately in front of it
solely by means of a rope or chain, the distance between the trailer and
that vehicle shall not in any case exceed 4.5 m, and shall not exceed 1.5
m unless the rope or chain is made clearly visible to any other person
using the road within a reasonable distance from either side.'

I have read that rigid tow bars are, however, a requirement when towing on
a motorway, but have not found the relevant legislation.

Colin Bignell

IIRC you can tow off a motorway with a rope, but not tow onto one. A rigid
bar can be used to tow on and off. That is however from some time ago.

I suspect it is also more theory than practice. The risk of a vehicle
sitting on the hard shoulder getting hit by another vehicle is
sufficiently high that I suspect that the authorities would summon a
recovery truck as soon as they spot one, rather than wait for a friend
of the driver to turn up with a tow rope.

Colin Bignell