Towing the car – regulations, speed. How to tow a car?
A breakdown or an accident on the road can happen even to the most experienced driver. When it becomes necessary to tow a vehicle, many questions may arise. How to tow a car? How much does towing cost? Here we dispel doubts regarding vehicle towing and remind the applicable legal regulations.
If and when you can tow a car – regulations
As a rule, towing a passenger car on public roads is allowed. However, in order for towing to be possible, the vehicle must be properly equipped. Necessary are:
- towing rope – the rope should be synthetic and have a length of 4 to 6 meters,
- jumper cables – they are needed when the battery is discharged,
- Warning triangle – the towed vehicle must be marked on the left rear with a clearly visible warning triangle.
It is also possible to tow a truck, although this is much more difficult than for a passenger vehicle. How do I tow a truck? The basis is to read the instructions attached to the car.
The car is not always towed after a breakdown. It assumes that the vehicle will be removed from the road (towed away) at the owner’s expense, among others: when it was left in a prohibited place, the driver did not have third party liability insurance during the inspection or the total weight specified in road traffic regulations was exceeded.
Vehicle towing – basic rules
How to tow a car? The main issue is to properly secure the towed vehicle. In addition to its proper marking, it should also be remembered that the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle should be connected in a way that prevents their separation. Drivers must also remember to keep an appropriate distance. The correct distance between the towing and the towed car is:
- rigid connection – no more than 3 m,
- flexible connection – from 4 to 6 m.
The Highway Code also provides an answer to the question of how fast a car can be towed. The towing speed depends on the type of terrain – the maximum towing speed is:
- 30 km / h – towing in built-up areas,
- 60 km / h – towing outside built-up areas.
Many drivers also have doubts about the lights. What lights should the towed car be on? In the period of insufficient visibility, its driver should turn on the position lights. The towing vehicle, on the other hand, must have the dipped headlights on. This rule also applies to the period of sufficient visibility.
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The vehicle should be towed in a way that will not endanger other road users. For this reason, it is worth planning the towing route taking into account roads with as little traffic as possible.
When is towing a car prohibited?
It is not always possible to tow a car. The Highway Code prohibits towing cars with malfunctioning steering system or malfunctioning brakes. An exception to this rule is when the towing method excludes the need for these systems.
Defective brakes or a steering wheel in a vehicle will not be the only cases where towing will be impossible. The Highway Code regulations also prohibit towing:
- the vehicle by means of a flexible connection, when the braking system in the towed car depends on the operation of the engine, which in turn is immobilized,
- more than one vehicle – with the exception of a articulated vehicle,
- a vehicle with a trailer (semi-trailer) – if you were wondering whether you can tow a car with a trailer, it is unacceptable.
Many drivers also ask themselves whether it is possible to tow on the highway. This issue is also regulated by the Road Traffic Act. Towing on the motorway is only possible by dedicated vehicles and only to the next exit or MOP.
How much does it cost to tow a car on a trailer?
Wondering how much it costs to tow a car on a tow truck? This is a reasonable solution if your car does not have the necessary towing equipment or you prefer to use the help of professionals. Roadside assistance companies, as a rule, make the price of the service dependent on several parameters, including, in particular:
- vehicle size – companies offering a tow truck service usually have separate price lists for passenger cars and trucks,
- terrain – different rates for towing a vehicle are valid in the city, and different in undeveloped areas,
- number of kilometers – most often the longer the distance will be towed, the more favorable the rate for a single kilometer.
Do you use an older vehicle or are you afraid that in the event of a breakdown you will not be able to tow the car on your own? When buying third party liability insurance, also choose the Assistance policy.
Under even the basic Assistance policy, you will be able to tow after a breakdown or accident. Depending on the insurer and the chosen option, the limit of towing kilometers in Poland usually ranges from 150 to 250 km from the scene of the accident.
