Towing turns one vehicle’s problems into two vehicles’ problems. The Highway Code’s rule 98 is the complete pre-flight and in-flight checklist for towing, and while it speaks to every driver, almost every line of it lands on commercial operations: artic couplings, drawbar combinations, recovery moves and van-and-trailer work all live under it.
Before towing: the MUSTs
Rule 98’s pre-tow list is mostly law, not advice:
- Licence. You must not tow more than your licence permits. Drivers who passed their car test on or after 1 January 1997 are restricted on the weight of trailer they can tow - a real issue for van fleets using staff who have never taken a trailer test.
- Roadworthiness of both vehicles. All tyres legal, the trailer braking system in full working order, all trailer lights working correctly. The trailer gets the same standard as the towing vehicle, because at 60mph it is one vehicle.
- No overloading. You must not overload vehicle or trailer, and you should not tow more than the vehicle manufacturer recommends. The towing limit is the manufacturer’s number, not the driver’s confidence.
- Load distribution. Weight spread evenly, heavy items over the axles, and a downward load on the tow ball within the manufacturer’s recommendation - done right, this minimises swerving, snaking and loss of control.
- Load security. The load must be secured and must not stick out dangerously; heavy or sharp objects and any animals secured safely. In a collision, unsecured cargo hits people.
- Mirrors. If the vehicle is narrower than the trailer or load, or the trailer or load obstructs the rearward view, towing mirrors must be used.
- Secondary coupling. The trailer must be fitted with a secondary coupling device, such as a safety chain. When the primary coupling fails - and couplings do fail - the secondary is the only thing keeping the trailer attached.
- Headlights. Carrying a load or pulling a trailer may require headlight adjustment; a nose-up truck on a loaded tow ball dazzles everyone.
During towing: the in-flight rules
- Reduced speed limits apply. The general rule 124 table drops limits for vehicles towing - 50 on single carriageways, 60 on dual carriageways and motorways for car-derived combinations, and for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes the heavier limits apply throughout.
- Stopping distances increase significantly. The gap that works solo does not work hitched.
- The right-lane ban. You must not drive in the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes when towing - the rule 265 restriction catches every trailer combination, whatever its weight.
- Snaking. If the trailer starts to swerve or snake, or you lose control: ease off the accelerator and reduce speed gently. Do not brake harshly. This is the single most important driving instruction in the rule, and it is counterintuitive - every instinct says brake, and braking is what turns a snake into a jackknife.
One more pre-tow point deserves its own emphasis because it is the one fleet checks most often skip: the combination check. Rule 98’s duties attach to “both your vehicle and your trailer”, and the roadworthiness obligation sits with the driver at the wheel. A trailer that arrived from another depot with a soft tyre or a dead side lamp becomes the driver’s defect the moment they pull away, so the coupling walkaround is not a favour to the last user - it is the legal protection of the next one.
Breakdowns while towing
The rule closes with two warnings worth passing on: towing a vehicle on a tow rope is potentially dangerous - consider a solid tow bar or professional recovery - and rejoining a carriageway takes longer when towing, so the gap judgment that works solo will not work with a trailer behind.
The fleet’s towing checklist
- Verify licence entitlements before assigning trailer work, especially for post-1997 car licence holders.
- Add the trailer to the walkaround: tyres, brakes, lights, coupling, safety chain, number plate.
- Record manufacturer towing limits in the vehicle file; the driver should not have to guess.
- Load discipline: heavy over the axles, nose weight in spec, nothing projecting dangerously.
- Brief the snaking recovery - ease off, gentle reduction, no harsh braking - until drivers can recite it.
- Mirror check on every combination; a trailer wider than the unit without towing mirrors is a roadside prohibition waiting.
Towing law is not complicated, but it is unforgiving of the “it’s only a short run” mindset. Rule 98 exists because the short runs are where the corners get cut, and the cut corners are where the trailers come off.
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