Is towing a car with another car illegal?
Is towing a car with another car illegal? – When a car breaks down or obstructs movement, it requires towing. Towing a car is not an easy task and has inherent dangers. But if you must, it should be for a small distance. So when a car breaks down, it is towed to a safe location or a repair shop.
Is it legal?
There is no rule that says you cannot tow a car with another. However, there are some important rules to obey.
- To tow safely and legally, know the towing capacity (weight) of the car. What this means is, the weight of the tow car must be bigger.
- While towing, ensure that no one is in the towed car.
In the United States, towing a car with another car may not be illegal. It becomes illegal if a person is in the towed car – it is considered kidnapping.
Is towing a car with another car illegal?
Measures to take
Towing a car means there is an extra load attached to your car, so driving with care is mandatory. It is important you know that you may not maneuver your car as you used to. These measures will help you complete the task in one piece.
- To avoid damaging your car and the towed car, read the owner’s manual of your car to know how much load your car can take.
- Keep your speed slow and constant.
- Don’t apply breaks in an instant.
- Your mirrors are very important tools, make use of them.
- When changing lanes, be very careful.
- Keep off sharp turns, it causes jackknifing.
- At night, switch on the lights of the car being towed.
What you need…
1. A tow rope
To tow another car, you will need a purpose-built rope. You can get it in any automotive aftermarket outlet. It is handy to have a tow rope in your boot.
As you use the towrope, you should leave enough distance between the cars. This distance gives room for the car (the car being towed) behind to react when you rake or turn.
The maximum allowable length is 4.5m. Legally, you must attach a flapping bit of colored cloth between (in the middle) the cars.
Apart from using a tow rope, there are various techniques for towing cars that you can choose to use. These techniques are dependent on whether the car is a two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
Further, it depends on whether the transmission is automatic or manual. Also, it depends on whether your car is a rear-wheel drive or a front-wheel drive.
The pros…
- This type of towing is employed with ease.
The cons…
- Depending on the type of breakdown and the car’s drive-line, serious car damage may result from towing with a rope. Some breakdowns on the road are due to this type of towing.
- The lack of power assistance to brakes and steering the towed car.
2. On Tow sign
You will need an ‘On Tow’ sign to hang behind the car being towed. This saves everyone a lot of trouble, especially cars that are behind and the Police. You can get this sign when you buy your tow rope.
3. Lights
Some drivers tow cars, even at night without turning on the lights of the towed car. It is very important (especially at night) to keep the lights on.
To avoid a tragedy when towing a car, you must apply safety measures. So stick to the rules and you will be fine!