So much for European Towing

[Roger C H]

This article kills the idea that one can tow anything with anything in Europe:

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local...m62-towing-dra

Also note the punishment!

I also found an interesting website:

Members Home Page

[steve dunham]

Went to website ,says article is not available.

[Donna D.]

Part of the URL was missing Driver in court over M62 towing drama - Local West Yorkshire News - News - Huddersfield Examiner

[Sharon G]

The punishment sounded shocking to me. Guess they were REALLY serious!

[Raz]

Yeah but it was an "american style caravan" that got him in trouble

[mcbrew]

I don't see anything wrong with that. It sounds like he was towing way too much for his TV. We can only imagine what his 40 foot "American style" caravan weighed! And without proper brakes?

[floyd]

AWW!! What do they know? They make ya drive on the wrong side of the road!

[Andrew Gibbens]

I wonder if his 'American-style caravan' was actually American and so had electric brakes - which are not used in Europe, so we don't have easy access to brake controllers. Which might explain the "no proper braking mechanism".

Most Land Rovers have a 3500kg/7700lb braked tow rating but I don't think that would be enough for any 40-foot trailer.

There must be some more to this story that's not printed - 'dangerous driving' here is the offence when the driver was intentionally dangerous, for example when a driver has collisions trying to escape from a police car. If this driver had mistakenly thought the combination was legal, he would have got 'driving without due care and attention'. Unless he told the police officer arresting him that the officer didn't know anything about motoring law, which usually gets any offence moved one grade higher......

[mcbrew]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gibbens

I wonder if his 'American-style caravan' was actually American and so had electric brakes - which are not used in Europe, so we don't have easy access to brake controllers. Which might explain the "no proper braking mechanism".

He probably had the electric brakes wired to the four-ways and called it "anti-lock" braking!

[Daniel A.]

In Canada he would be charged under the motor vehicle act, not criminal code they would pull the plates.
I find both the UK and USA very different from Canada when it comes to road laws and penalty.
On one trip to the UK I'd been reading the story of one women in an accident and was shocked at the charge when I discussed this with my friends over there it didn't matter that it was an accident she was sober and it was just a bad day. She may face jail time for the charge in place.

USA laws can be very tough as well in the event of an accident one better hope no one died in the accident or you could very well be looking at serious jail time if at fault.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Daniel A.

In Canada he would be charged under the motor vehicle act, not criminal code they would pull the plates.
I find both the UK and USA very different from Canada when it comes to road laws and penalty.
On one trip to the UK I'd been reading the story of one women in an accident and was shocked at the charge when I discussed this with my friends over there it didn't matter that it was an accident she was sober and it was just a bad day. She may face jail time for the charge in place.

USA laws can be very tough as well in the event of an accident one better hope no one died in the accident or you could very well be looking at serious jail time if at fault.

Fortunately that's not really true about the U.S. unless you are drunk or criminally negligent.
Do you really mean to say that if you follow all the rules you can hope somebody dies in your next accident?
I don't think so!
Tow and Drive safely and leave your worries behind!

[Daniel A.]

check out what criminally negligent means in the USA.

[Andrew Gibbens]

Originally Posted by Daniel A.

I find both the UK and USA very different from Canada when it comes to road laws and penalty.

A lesser-known difference is in these countries' attitudes to road safety, illustrated by their road death rates (these are per year per 100,000 population):
Sweden 2.9
UK 3.6
Canada 9.2
USA 12.3
(the source is the OECD)

I've included Sweden as that's the safest developed country - and one with an almost unbelievable goal, to eliminate all road deaths - Vision Zero

[honda03842]

The numbers between these four countries are a lot closer than one might imagine.

A more realistic comparison is deaths per miles driven, not deaths per 100,000 inhabaitants. A big country like ours and Canada has a lot more long distance driving per inhabitant than Sweden or the UK.

Deaths per billion KM driven:
Sweden 5.1
UK 5.7
Canada 8.2
USA 8.5

It is also interesting to note that most countries in the world have rates of deaths per 100,000 miles driven much higher than any of these countries.

[Daniel A.]

Interesting stats either way there viewed. Miles driven seems reasonable cosidering how vast North America is, wonder how Australia compares.

[honda03842]

Austrailia
5.2 deaths/100.000 inhabitants
6 deaths/billion km driven

[mcbrew]

I'm glad my new Subaru is rated to tow 2,700 pounds in the US. Still, I wish it would carry the 4,000 pound tow rating that the same car with the same engine and transmission carries in the UK. At least I know there is a serious fudge factor in there. Interestingly, the UK rating for tongue weight is 180 pounds, or 4.5% of the maximum tow rating.

[Daniel A.]

I believe it come down to liability for the manufacture they will go with the safe numbers, less chance of being sued.

[mcbrew]

Originally Posted by Daniel A.

I believe it come down to liability for the manufacture they will go with the safe numbers, less chance of being sued.

I am sure that liability is part of it. We are a bit lawsuit-happy in the US of A.

[mcbrew]

Towed with the Subaru for the first time today. No, it wasn't the Scamp, it was my utility trailer (4x6) with an 8' landscape rake (farm tractor implement) on it. The trailer is around 500 pounds. The rake is about 350 pounds. I also had about 50 pounds of other junk on it. I hate to sound like so many others, but I hardly noticed it was there. The Subie still chugged along at about 1,500 RPM at 60 MPH on the highway. Gotta love CVT transmissions! I can only imagine what it would be like with the 6 cylinder engine!