A View on Australian Towing Laws

[Steffo1]

For consideration.
https://www.boatsales.com.au/editorial/details/why-australias-towing-laws-are-ridiculous-119355/

[#jonesy]

Except first paragraph. A car licence can drive vehicle not exceeding 4,500

The rest makes some sense.

[prodigyrf]

"Consider the caravan buyer, who couples a wagon to a twin-axle caravan. Without the legal requirement to do any training a novice can drive a combination that weighs around 7.0 tonnes.
It’s by far the least stable vehicle combination that can be devised, with an unregulated amount of weight on a tow ball that’s behind the tow vehicle’s rear axle.
On top of that is nationwide acceptance of an electric trailer braking system whose braking force can be adjusted at will by the tow vehicle driver."

It's simply not a problem because by the time you can afford a caravan you're an experienced driver and you've got your head screwed on plus you do your homework about it all. Probably more risk with young noob renters hiring a tandem trailer full of moving gear or taking a load to the tip.

[Spada]

some really thought provoking concepts in that article???............does make you wonder about the sensibility of some of the regulations.

[CTL]

It's simply not a problem because by the time you can afford a caravan you're an experienced driver and you've got your head screwed on plus you do your homework about it all.

Bahahahahaha, now that is the quote of the year

[Bigfish]

"Consider the caravan buyer, who couples a wagon to a twin-axle caravan. Without the legal requirement to do any training a novice can drive a combination that weighs around 7.0 tonnes.
It’s by far the least stable vehicle combination that can be devised, with an unregulated amount of weight on a tow ball that’s behind the tow vehicle’s rear axle.
On top of that is nationwide acceptance of an electric trailer braking system whose braking force can be adjusted at will by the tow vehicle driver."

It's simply not a problem because by the time you can afford a caravan you're an experienced driver and you've got your head screwed on plus you do your homework about it all. Probably more risk with young noob renters hiring a tandem trailer full of moving gear or taking a load to the tip.

See plenty of couples in their 20s and 30s towing vans around up here in the tourist season(FNQ).  Also see heaps of older drivers who have no bloody idea on towing a van or parking it. This is why we need a van licence to be introduced. I,d hazard a guess and say around 50% of rigs are over weight (just looking at whats on the road and seeing the overloaded tow vehicle), many owners couldnt care less and if people did their homework...there would be no overweight vans. Often the "young noob" renters with their tandem trailers moving house or going to the tip only travel short distances in mainly suburbs. Experienced car drivers does not mean jackShit when it comes to towing.

I also disagree with the articles take on the breakaway system. It is there if a coupling failure occurs. Chains are also required. We set up a system 2 weeks ago on a new 6 meter boat trailer and it was set up so that as soon as the coupling let go the brakes came on and the chains still held the trailer on...its not hard to do and simply an adjustment to get right..  Just relying on the breakaway system would be dangerous .  I,ve seen plenty with stuffed batteries that wouldnt stop a skateboard from taking off!

[shanegtr]

I think that there should be a class of license to be able to tow. Example, truck licenses are separated into many difference classes - here in WA theres 5 classes - LR, MR, HR, HC, MC. Why is towing with your run of the mill light vehicle treated differently?

[#jonesy]

The first 3 classes of truck can also tow (without testing) up to 9 tonne trailers.

[briann532]

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream.

Tow, tow, tow your boat, flat out on the highway, overloaded with  crap brakes, no experience, in holiday mode with all your worldly experience of catching the weekly train and driving to grandmas on Sunday.
Load all the weight at the back, cos it's too heavy on the Kia's towball otherwise and the steering gets too light. See I do know how this works, just ask me, I'm an expert.
I've put the excess bits on the Kia roof, it should take 300k'gs, its new with no rust. Roof top tent, Gerry cans and gas bottles too. They smell a bit so I don't want them in the cabin.
Now chuck on my favourite music and lets belt up that highway. What could go wrong?

On  a serious note, when we went to pick up our new caravan, they wouldn't let us take it without the correct weights being ascertained, checking the brake system and a full run down on towing and even an explanation brochure on weights and braking systems. We were told how to pack, where to pack and what not to do. What to check, what to look out for and why.
I do however scratch my head at the breakaway system with chains???
But credit to the people who made sure we were going to be safe.

[GeoffA]

I do however scratch my head at the breakaway system with chains???

Chains are attached to the tow bar.
Tow bars have been known to be ripped off in a collision.
The breakaway lead should be attached to the body or chassis.

 

[Brij]

Pity quite a number of his points are based on misinterpretations of the existing rules

 

[achjimmy]

Brian makes an interesting point . In an every increasing hectic world nee Australia. All driving licenses and how they are renewed need to be reviewed imo. We have Elderly that are not being tested properly and given a lot of leeway . Up our way (blue mountains ) every Sunday you have to be conscious  of the “GoGet” drivers who drive twice a year and one of them  is a 140km road trip through the mountains. Not to mention the majority of drivers who seem to be oblivious of anything other than the road in front .

Bring on towing licenses but also a raft of ability testing for all drivers

[weeds]

Storm in a tea cup...the authorities won’t make any big changes.

It’d be good to see more resources out there educating instead of the few that look for the smallest thing to issue a fine.

I do a lot of miles for work, probably more than I do holidaying....I mostly see caravaners just getting on with, sure you come across a slow one or a poorly set up one but the majority look fine to me.

On my last work drive from Brisbane ya Parkes i observed/experienced three eye opening events two were to do with trucks and one that kinda popped up and I thought this is going to be interesting (me overtaking a B Double and the bus ahead throws his indicator on and starts to brake). I was towing.

If everybody was more accepting, slowed down, more considerate...we’d all get along.

Oh, doubt we will every tow a van......


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[Pottsy]

Cons....... nanny states............. Fines............. Over regulation.

Pros.........nanny states.............Fines...............Over regulation..............less idiots maybe!

[edz]

Towing .... Might pay to have a watch of this ..    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swUDFWQ5QhI

[austastar]

Hi,
   It does make you wonder about why they do it.
Cheers

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[KeithB]

Towing .... Might pay to have a watch of this ..    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swUDFWQ5QhI

I just watched it to Edz and it made a lot of sense to restate the obvious. It's a shame that he did not say anything about the stability of these heavy rigs.
When I was a lad, the rule was that the laden weight of the trailer should not exceed the unladen weight of the tow vehicle. I was a good rule too. But it seems to have gone by the board.

Keith

[weeds]

Good summary by old mate......even if he was hard to watch along with a bit of a gee up here and there.

All the more reason why we sold our camper trailer and are now set up to live out of the car.......last weigh bridge ticket had us well under.

although when the kids were camping with us towing suited and at times I knew  I was over and that’s towing less than 2T. But at I could consider things as I actually went over a weight bridge.


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[prodigyrf]

Bahahahahaha, now that is the quote of the year

So all the folks on towing forums like this one are here because they know it all are they? Hands up those here who believe they need a special towing licence to be safe on the roads? Come on don't be shy as you know you're a menace on the roads without it. 
Sorry but in my travels I just don't see all menaces out there towing that you see in the mirror   

[CTL]

So all the folks on towing forums like this one are here because they know it all are they? Hands up those here who believe they need a special towing licence to be safe on the roads? Come on don't be shy as you know you're a menace on the roads without it. 
Sorry but in my travels I just don't see all menaces out there towing that you see in the mirror 

Haha, you make a silly statement, I laugh at it and then you try to defend it.  C’mon 

[weeds]

So all the folks on towing forums like this one are here because they know it all are they? Hands up those here who believe they need a special towing licence to be safe on the roads? Come on don't be shy as you know you're a menace on the roads without it. 
Sorry but in my travels I just don't see all menaces out there towing that you see in the mirror 

Totally agree.......

- if it became law (which I doubt it would) I would obviously do the test and hope I pass

- do I believe I need one, no, as I reckon I have enough knowledge and experience to continue on

- if they bring in a new law it would probably apply to new license owners only just like any changes that have all ready happened over the years.

normally a new comer to forums that’s looking for advice often do get overwhelmed by the main contributors, hopefully they do log back in and read some and decipher what good advice and what to ignore.


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[Craig Tomkinson]

I got pulled up 8 years ago now and put off the road, they were really good to me, could had been fined $1500 and instant loss of licence for 12 months, Now I run silent and run legal. Craig

[Bird]

Hands up who thinks anyone needs a license to drive on the roads... With the Shit drivers we have now, its ****in pointless to have any license...
Even all the trucks and couriers around here now are all called Ramjeet and watching them try and reverse a 10 pallet rigid into the place over the road that you can drive a 14 pallet rigid into forward and turn around on site - none of them have done a genuine test

[Fizzie]

I got pulled up 8 years ago now and put off the road, they were really good to me, could had been fined $1500 and instant loss of licence for 12 months, Now I run silent and run legal. Craig

What'd you get done for, Craig

[Redback]

So all the folks on towing forums like this one are here because they know it all are they? Hands up those here who believe they need a special towing licence to be safe on the roads? Come on don't be shy as you know you're a menace on the roads without it. 
Sorry but in my travels I just don't see all menaces out there towing that you see in the mirror 

Me I think you do, if you think that by the time you can afford a car and caravan combination of 7,000kg you have the knowledge on how to tow, then you are very naive, just because you have drive a motor vehicle for a long period of time doesn't mean you actually know how to tow anything, regardless of what you're towing.

I have seen a lot of caravanners on the road that should not be on the road at all towing great big blocks of flats and have absolutely no clue what they are doing, that becomes obvious as soon as they attempt to reverse that great big monstrosity, if you can't reverse what you're towing you shouldn't be towing, period, most people can't tow or reverse a flamin box trailer.

Baz.