Is it legal to do so on the public highway?
Just wondered because my bruv wants to take his son's car from their home to a relatives empty garage. Only 5 miles but distance is irrelevant if it is illegal.
Thanks.
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Well under the presumption that you can be 'done' for drink driving just for being 'in charge' ie with keys sitting in drivers seat, id assume that being in the drivers seat, with keys and in control on a public road would be considered on a similar level.
If you turn off the engine and coast down a hill, your not absolved from the legalities which is in effect the same thing as being towed.
Could he get away with it? Possibly. Legally, dubious at best and likely not legal.
Last edited by: FoR on Tue 16 Aug 11 at 23:41
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My understanding is that legally, without Tax, MOT and insurance, it shouldn't have any tyres touching the road so even one of those towing dollies which lifts two wheels would be illegal
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There was a thread a long time ago (HJ?) about someone who just wanted to push his SORNed car into the road and back to rearrange his parking. The strict answer was that it was illegal without tax, insurance and MOT.
I suggested putting down scaffolding planks so that the tyres never touched the road. The answer appeared to be that he would still be caught, in the same way that an engineless car propped up on bricks is still legally "on the road".
There is an argument that if the towed car self-steers and has no driver, then it becomes a "trailer". But the snag is that trailer rules then apply. Number plate obviously, but also brakes, coupled not over-run if more than a certain weight, and also the weight ratio and towing weight rules would apply.
Just do it, early one Sunday morning. :)
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Take off the number plates as it then cannot be ANPRd, it would require a physical stop by the police to ascertain the details. Provided everything else is in order I would suggest the chances of actually being done are much reduced.
The biggest problem is if it is picked on by a DVLA survey vehicle and the suggestion above negates this chance.
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>> I suggested putting down scaffolding planks so that the tyres never touched the road. >> The answer appeared to be that he would still be caught, in the same way that an engineless car propped up on bricks is still legally "on the road".
IIRC, from my brief experience of helping someone with banger racing, as long as the car was more than 6" off the ground (eg, on a trailer or car transporter) then the car doesn't need to be taxed, insured, etc. Mind you this was before SORN had been dreamt up.
I think I'm right in saying though, that you can take a SORN'd car for a pre booked MOT.
legacylad, is the car a non runner? If not, book it in for an MOT, take it from A to B, then cancel the MOT ;o)
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 17 Aug 11 at 10:23
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>> There is an argument that if the towed car self-steers and has no driver, then
>> it becomes a "trailer". But the snag is that trailer rules then apply. Number plate
>> obviously, but also brakes, coupled not over-run if more than a certain weight, and also
>> the weight ratio and towing weight rules would apply.
Maybe it's changed since, but 25 years ago the car was classed as a trailer when being towed with a rope and the towing car's number plate on the back.
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It's a wholy reasonable thing to do, even if it is technically an infringement.
Taking the number plates off seems the way to go. Hang the towing car's number plate off the back though. Shift it at a busy time of day, stick to main routes with no facility to be pulled off out the way of traffic.
More hassle than it's worth i'd expect for plod to identify the car and check it out.
Bonus points for towing with a transit and having the driver's belly sticking out from under a tight dirty t-shirt :-)
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Take it to pieces, and transport one bit at a time.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 17 Aug 11 at 09:01
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What is the insurance position for towing a sorn'd car, for both vehicles?
For that matter, what's the insurance position if I tow a mate's taxed and insured car which has broken down?
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The second car needs to be insured and tax'd if it is still mechanically propelled and on a road...
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For the distance involved, I'd not take a risk and get it onto a low loader and transported.
Someone would probably be available to do it fairly cheaply. I know of one or two in the Manchester area but that's no use to you.
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>> The second car needs to be insured and tax'd if it is still mechanically propelled
>> and on a road...
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Yes, I forgot to mention in my previous post, the car had to be broken down, i.e. not able to be self propelled.
Last edited by: Kithmo on Wed 17 Aug 11 at 13:14
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Towing a Sorn'd car - Stuu
