There are a large number of additional devices that expand the capabilities of the car, one of which is a towbar. This is a special tool for transporting trailers or trailers. For those who travel a lot around the country, abroad or transport goods, it is an indispensable thing. But before purchasing it, every car owner must figure out whether there is a fine for a tow bar on a passenger car in 2018-2019, and how much is it?
What is a towbar
A towbar, or towing device, is a part for attaching a trailer to a car body. It is suitable for towing trailers and trailers, allows you to transport snowmobiles, ATVs, and install bicycle racks.
According to GOST, the tow bar consists of two parts:
- a cross beam that is attached to the car body;
- ball joint on this beam.
Towbars come in three types: removable, conditionally removable and non-removable. Let's look at what situations they are suitable for.
Non-removable. The ball joint is welded to the beam and cannot be removed. This is the most reliable solution for heavy trailers.
Conditionally removable. In such a towbar, the ball is bolted to the beam. It can be removed using tools, the beam will remain in place.
Removable. In such systems, the towbar ball can be installed and removed without tools - simply unscrew the nut with a plastic handle by hand. After this, the towbar on the car will not be visible from the outside.
The towbar is installed under the bumper and connected to the electrics, if it has an outlet. Photo from flickr.com/photos/zieak/
Why install a towbar?
In most cases, a towbar is installed for towing trailers, trailers and vehicles whose weight does not exceed 3.5 tons. Thanks to this installation, it is possible to evenly distribute the load formed under the influence of inertia and weight.
Typical versions of this mechanism are quite simple and represent a spherical frame structure, which is securely fixed on a metal curved protrusion.
At the same time, today, depending on the load installed on the devices, towbars are divided into 3 types :
- From 2,500 to 3,500 kilograms;
- from 1,500 to 2,500 kilograms;
- and up to 1,500 kilograms.
The design of special-purpose towbars, as a rule, is a strong bracket with a ring-shaped loop placed in it. This device is located on the trailer drawbar. The actual fastening of the entire towbar structure is provided by a metal pin threaded through the ring in the bracket.
Expert opinion
Oleg Ustinov
Practicing lawyer, author of the website “Legal Ambulance”, one of the co-founders of the “Our Future” foundation.
Today in the Russian Federation GOST-28248-89 has been established, corresponding to the international standard called ISO 1103-76, which regulates the permissible dimensions of a ball-type trailer hitch, as well as the procedure for applying the appropriate identification marks to it and the actual parameters of the coupling. This document is applicable to most types of trailers (up to 3,500 kilograms), except for special ones.
In addition, the device in question is divided by type of installation into :
- Flanged or conditionally removable, requiring a special platform on which they are fastened with bolts. This type of towbar can be removed by the driver if necessary.
- Removable . This is perhaps the most common type of device, equipped with a special latch for quick release of the hook. In 2021, such towbars are quite often included in the package of SUVs, as well as pickups.
- Fixed , which are completely welded structures and are initially a structural element of the vehicle bumper.
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Category of license for a car with a tow bar
The category of rights depends on what kind of trailer the driver plans to attach to the towbar. We wrote about the categories in the article about trailers:
| Car | Trailer weight, kg | Total weight, kg | Category |
| passenger car | up to 750 or vehicle weight | up to 3500 | B |
| from 750 | from 3500 | BE | |
| cargo | up to 750 | — | C, C1 |
| from 750 | — | C.E. | |
| from 750 | up to 12,000 | C1E | |
| bus | up to 750 | — | D, D1 |
| from 750 | — | DE | |
| from 750 | up to 12,000 | D1E |
How to properly sell a car with a tow bar in 2021
Before selling a vehicle, the current owner must make sure that the towbar is installed in accordance with the standards and requirements imposed on these devices by the legislator. If violations are discovered in the future, you may not only lose a potential buyer, but also receive a fine.
If your car is equipped with a homemade tow bar that is not in the catalog or does not correspond to the spare parts catalog, the lawyers of the Legal Ambulance website recommend removing it before selling the vehicle.
Buyer!
The buyer must check the trailer hitch, making sure that its installation is legal!
What documents are needed for a tow bar?
There is no need to register the towbar if you are installing the device on a vehicle for which it is intended. This can be checked in the model's instruction manual.
The work must be performed at a certified center - a dealer or service station. Then three documents will be enough:
- towbar passport with installation mark;
- copy of the certificate of conformity for the tow bar. It must be certified by a store or service center;
- sales receipts or invoices.
The driver is not required to register the towbar if he can present these documents to the traffic police inspector. This is stated in clause 77 of technical regulation 018/2011.
Rules for installing a tow bar
Since, for the most part, the trailer hitch is mounted on the body or frame of a car or other vehicle, car manufacturers pre-provide in their flagship models the mounting location for the tow bar.
To install the device, it will be enough to dismantle the bumper, bend the heat protection (optional, for some car models), and then lower the muffler down. Then you need to remove the plugs of the fastening elements, align the brackets with the vehicle body, put the beam in place and tighten the bolts until they stop. After this, the muffler, as well as the heat protection and bumper, are installed in their previous position.
Author's note
The procedure for installing the trailer hitch described above may vary greatly depending on your car model. For example, to install a tow bar in some vehicles, you will need to additionally drill several holes.
Remember that it is prohibited to install a tow bar on vehicles that are legally prohibited from using trailers!
We also remind you that for passenger cars these restrictions can be imposed if the sum of the permitted weight of the trailer, as well as the car, exceeds the weight of 3.5 tons!
What is the fine for a tow bar without documents?
For a homemade tow bar. A homemade towbar that is not designed for a specific model is dangerous for the motorist and other road users. If the inspector decides to check the towbar and does not find the necessary documents, he will impose a fine of 500 rubles under Part 1 of Art. 12.5 Code of Administrative Offences.
If you manage to convince the inspector that you will correct the violation in the near future, you can get off with a warning.
For a faulty tow bar. For a non-functioning coupling device, you will be fined under Part 2 of the same article of the Code of Administrative Offences.
The fine is the same - 500 rubles. In this case, the inspector has the right to send the car to the impound lot.
Towbar registration procedure
In cases where the towbar is not provided for in the technical documentation for the vehicle, registration of the trailer hitch is mandatory! All details of the installation of the trailer hitch, as we mentioned earlier, are regulated by the current legislation of the Russian Federation, namely, technical regulations dated January 1, 2015 TR TS 018/2011, also known as the regulation “On the Safety of Wheeled Vehicles”, according to the standards of which - to install a tow bar on most modern models of passenger cars, the car owner does not need to register these changes with the traffic police.
The authors of the website “Legal Ambulance” strongly recommend that their readers install the tow bar only in authorized centers that retain the warranty of the official dealer of the model. In addition, be sure to save the receipt for payment for services!
It is worth noting that even if the possibility of equipping a trailer hitch is provided by the vehicle manufacturer, the vehicle owner must check the availability of the mechanism itself in the spare parts catalog, in which it must be present under the corresponding number.
About problems with the law
In case of non-compliance with the above rules and regulations established by the legislator, the installation of a tow bar may be regarded by representatives of the law as an unregistered design change to the car.
Every owner of a passenger car can learn about the possibility of installing a trailer hitch on their vehicle by studying its operating manual, which in 2021 can be found on the automaker’s website.
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In addition, you can use your car’s VIN number as a data source. The plate contains 4 maximum permissible weight options. If only 3 values are indicated on it, then the trailer hitch is not provided!
Example:
- load on both axles;
- road trains;
- the car itself;
If, as a result of inspecting the car and studying the documentation for it, it turns out that registration of the towbar in 2021 is mandatory for you, you should follow these steps:
- undergo a qualified examination before and after installation;
- receive the appropriate safety certificate;
- personally visit the traffic police, where officers will inspect the car and check all available papers;
- receive a PTS, as well as a technical certificate with a towbar included in it.
How to legalize a towbar
If the car model does not provide a towbar or you use a device without a certificate, this will be considered a change in the design of the car, that is, tuning. The towbar will have to be registered and a note about this will have to be included in the vehicle registration certificate (VRC). To do this, follow the steps.
Select a laboratory. We talked in detail about how to do this in the article about auto tuning.
Get a conclusion from the laboratory. Send your application to the laboratory and, if everything is in order, you will be given a conclusion.
Coordinate changes with the traffic police. Submit the laboratory report along with the application to the technical supervision department of the State Traffic Inspectorate.
Install the tow bar. You can do this yourself; there is no need to contact an authorized service.
Obtain a protocol from the laboratory. Employees will compare the planned changes with what happened.
Receive a certificate of design conformity and an examination report. To do this, submit the following documents to the traffic police:
- statement,
- citizen's passport,
- STS and vehicle passport,
- declaration statement from the work manufacturer,
- copies of certificates of conformity for the tow bar,
- receipt of payment of state duty - 800 rubles.
Contact the registration department of the traffic police. There you will be marked in the STS and PTS.
When installation is allowed
I’ll say right away that I will speak specifically about the situation in Russia. I cannot say reliably how this matter stands in Ukraine or Kazakhstan. If you have relevant information, be sure to leave feedback and write in detail about it in the comments.
First, I’ll tell you about the new rules for registering changes to cars, which are in effect from June 1. This also partially affected towbars, since in some cases their installation is positioned as a change in the design of the vehicle. There is also material on this topic that talks about certificates for trailer hitches, situations when they are necessary and the nuances of obtaining a permit. In fact, without approval, it is not always possible to install a towbar on cars. But this applies only to homemade towing devices, as well as to structures whose installation is not intended for specific vehicles. You will learn more about the material from the link I left.
As a result, up to 3 days are now given to provide services to the traffic police to check documentation and issue permits regarding the changes made.
Although these deadlines are said to be insufficiently long, which may cause delays, they are expected to increase to 3-5 days.
The situation has changed somewhat in 2021. I can’t say that it has become easier to make changes to the car’s design, but certain steps have definitely been taken towards motorists. And this does not always apply to those who want to install a tow bar. If the vehicle manufacturer provides for the use of a trailer hitch, you should not have any problems in the future.
In fact, there are 2 situations when the trailer hitch is mounted without fear.
- Installation provided by the vehicle manufacturer. The design of most cars from the factory includes the possibility of installing a towbar. Therefore, no additional changes will have to be made. Changes mean welding, drilling, etc. This allows you to even install the structure yourself;
- The installation of the towbar was carried out through a licensed and certified service. Here a corresponding resolution to make changes is issued, and the design is approved by the traffic police. The question is more complex and lengthy, but without it, sometimes it will not be possible to install a towbar legally in any other way.
What I strongly advise against doing is trying to assemble the trailer hitch with your own hands and install it on the car without first checking for compliance.
Operating a vehicle with a homemade trailer hitch increases the risk of emergency situations and accidents with tragic outcomes.
Now let's talk directly about fines and discuss related topics.
Remember
- A towbar is a coupling hook under the body; it can be removable or non-removable.
- To drive a car with a tow bar and a trailer up to 750 kg, a category B license is sufficient.
- If your vehicle model has a towbar, install the device at a certified center. No registration required.
- The fine for a homemade or faulty towbar is 500 rubles. The inspector has the right to send the car to the impound lot.
- If a tow bar is not provided for your car, be prepared to pay an accredited laboratory and go to the traffic police. After this, you will be given notes about the tow bar in the STS and PTS.
All articles by the author: Ilya Novikov
Is it possible to drive with a tow bar without a trailer? What does the traffic regulations say?
Lately, drivers are increasingly wondering whether it is possible to drive with a tow bar without a trailer.
The reason for this interest is the increasing incidence of fines for such a constructive element. Inspectors are based on the Code of Administrative Offenses and traffic regulations that regulate the technical condition of the car. Moreover, no questions arise for cars with a trailer, but with a simple trip you can easily get a fine. At the same time, it is quite difficult to argue here; the inspectors have a fairly clear position, which is based on traffic regulations. Even if you do not agree with the protocol and insist on a trial, it is not always possible to prove that you are right. In most cases, trials do not end in favor of the driver. Let's figure out why it is not recommended to drive a car with a tow hitch. Is it possible to drive with a tow bar without a trailer? This question is complex and does not have a clear answer; much depends on a number of factors. Therefore, here we will consider only general points that may affect the likelihood of inspectors’ nagging. We will also figure out what points should be taken into account to avoid problems.
Rear light indication output to the tow bar
When installing a towbar in a car service center, together with the ball bracket, a connection is made for powering the lights. Wires are mounted to the vehicle's on-board network for output to a socket. The towbar plug is inserted into this socket.
There are two standards for connecting towbar electrics: a 7-pin plug (7-pin) and a 13-pin plug (13-pin). The 7 pin towbar is typically used to connect simple trailers. The 13 pins have additional 12V connectors and are used to connect motorhomes.
If you are going to equip your car with a towbar to purchase a specific mount, install the socket with the number of contacts that the Thule towbar model you are interested in has.
If you already have a towbar installed, and the number of contacts on it differs from the number of contacts in the mount, you can purchase the Thule Adapter 9906 adapter from 13 pins on the plug to 7 pins and the Thule Adapter 9907 from 7 pins to 13 pins.
Keep in mind that when using a 13-pin to 7-pin adapter, the tow bar lights will not light up when reversing. If this is unacceptable to you, change the output of your towbar from a 7-pin socket to a 13-pin socket.
Is it possible to sell a car with a tow bar installed?
Most often, car owners use removable towbars on their cars, so selling your car with this device does not pose any problems.
It is possible to remove the device before selling and sell it as an additional element to your vehicle. Therefore, the legislative reason why a tow bar may become an obstacle to the sale of a vehicle cannot be inherent.
In this case, it will be important to have on hand the necessary documents and certificates of conformity of the additional equipment that is installed on your car. This will be of sufficient importance both when purchasing and selling a vehicle.
Self-installation of towbars on cars in the Russian Federation is quite common. Many car owners install this part, which is not provided for in the main design, for towing light trailers and caravans. However, from the point of view of the law, these design changes to the CU are interpreted ambiguously. Therefore, in many cases, drivers risk receiving a fine for a tow bar if its installation is not approved by the traffic police.
How to transport bicycles on a towbar without damaging anything?
It is very important that the bicycle racks installed on the tow bar do not cover the license plates and rear lights of the car. This is required by the Traffic Rules in paragraph 23.3:
Transportation of cargo is permitted provided that it: ...does not cover external lighting devices and reflectors, registration and identification marks, and does not interfere with the perception of hand signals;
Violation of this clause is punishable by a warning or a fine of 500 rubles. And you must immediately correct this violation, otherwise you cannot continue driving.
Features of selling a car with a towbar
Before installing a tow bar on your own car, its owner needs to foresee a situation when the car will need to be sold. If the inspector may not notice “extra parts” during the operation of the car, then during re-registration during the sale it will not be possible to hide the tow bar from the expert.
Therefore, if the tow bar is not provided by the vehicle manufacturer, you must go through the procedure of registering it with the traffic police. Of course, this will be possible if the towbar is certified and installed by professional craftsmen.
Important. It will not be possible to register a “homemade” handicraft product. Therefore, such a towbar will need to be dismantled before selling the car. Otherwise, re-registration of the vehicle to another owner will be impossible.
Before installing a tow bar on your own vehicle, the owner should look at the Owner's Manual and make sure that this part is provided by the manufacturer. If the design of the car does not allow the installation of a tow bar, you can install only a removable model and use it in conjunction with a trailer or trailer. For driving with an uncertified or incorrectly installed towbar, you can “earn” a fine of 500 or 5000 rubles.
Features of using Thule towbar bike racks on Russian roads
Transporting bicycles on a car tow bar is convenient and easy. You don't need to lift the bike up - it is secured at a comfortable distance at chest level. And on the roof you can install a box with lighter things.
But Russian laws require that the license plate and lights at the rear of the car be always visible. That's why the Roof-Rack team explains how to avoid traffic problems when transporting your bike on Thule tow bars.
Fines
So, now it is more or less clear why traffic police officers can issue a report for an installed towbar. Let's look at all the fines that a driver caught with such a violation faces. This is an interesting question that you should also familiarize yourself with in order to avoid unpleasant news on the road.
According to the Administrative Code, for such a violation you will have to pay a fine of 500 rubles. If this seems like a small amount to you, then make allowances for the possibility of receiving an unlimited number of fines during the day. In fact, you can be slowed down by the same traffic police crew whenever you appear in their field of vision. In some cases a warning may be issued
, but this is only in a situation where there have been no such violations over the past six months. Also, in fact, warnings are not currently recommended to be used, so this type of protocol is the good will of the inspector.
If a fine is issued, its size can be reduced by 2 times. For this purpose, the legislation provides for a grace period; if fines are paid within 20 days, the amount payable is reduced. If the driver pays for the protocol within this time, it will be enough to transfer 250 rubles.
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How to avoid a fine
In the list of penalties for installing a towbar or using it without a trailer, there is one rather mild and almost symbolic one - a warning. The driver should try to convince the inspector who stopped him that the violation will be eliminated as soon as possible. It is the defiant behavior of the car owner that often leads to the traffic police officer issuing a fine. Of course, those motorists who have not come to the attention of inspectors in the last six months have a greater chance of avoiding punishment.
The ideal solution to the problem is a removable towbar. If this part is used only with a trailer or trailer, and is removed from the body as unnecessary, there will be no complaints from the traffic police.
There will be no punishment for the towbar even if it was installed during the production of the car or in an authorized service center. True, in this case the car owner will need to prove that the part was installed at the factory. But in any case, such a towbar will not be recognized as making changes to the design of the vehicle, therefore, the inspector will not be able to issue a fine of 5 thousand rubles.
Can it affect security?
Often inspectors appeal to safety requirements.
Let's figure out whether a towbar can really have a negative impact on the consequences after an accident, or whether this is just nit-picking of traffic police officers. Nowadays, when assessing the safety of a car, the degree of risk for pedestrians and cars is divided. We will also consider these factors separately. This will allow us to more accurately understand what worries the police.
For pedestrians, the tow bar poses an imaginary threat. It is located in the rear of the car, and collisions when reversing occur infrequently. But, in such an accident, if there is a towbar, a person will probably suffer more than without it. Although in general the likelihood of getting hit by a tow bar is negligible.
On practice
a towed one is much more dangerous for other vehicles. Compare the situation when a car driving behind drives into the bumper with an accident where it “puts on” the tow bar. The level of damage in both cases will be different, and the car will suffer more if it encounters a tow bar. This affects the removal of the towbar beyond the bumper, which increases the level of damage. It essentially becomes a kind of battering ram.
What is a towbar and when can it be installed?
A towbar is considered a special towing device for a vehicle, which is necessary for towing trailers and various trailer designs.
This device contains several main parts, some of which are:
- Crossbar. This part of the towbar is installed in special holes, which are unique in their basic location for any vehicle, namely: specialized holes made in the car body or on the frame.
- Ball joint. This towbar element is installed to the vehicle beam.
A tow bar is used by people who transport relatively small loads or who often use their vehicle for long trips.
Attention! It is possible to attach a special residential trailer to the tow bar when there is a need for trips out of town with the whole family. This is very convenient and practical, which is why such devices are now in high demand and popular among people who prefer to relax in nature.
Many vehicle owners install a towbar as a protection device. For example, in the event of a possible accident, it is the towbar that will take on the greater impact force. But, this is a mistake and it is necessary to remove the towbar when it is not used for its intended purpose.
Types of towbars
Towed devices, depending on the type of fastening of the ball joint, are conventionally divided into the following types:
- Removable types that are secured with locks;
- Conditionally removable, fixed with bolts;
- Welded varieties;
- End hitches.
Removable or flanged devices are fixed to specially prepared areas on the rear side of the vehicle (usually a pickup truck plays this role), and are secured with 2 or 4 bolts.
This design can be removed, but it is not as easy as with a regular model. Flange varieties have a high degree of reliability, therefore they are often used for transporting heavy and dimensional cargo. In addition, their installation requires a special frame installation.
From a safety point of view, all trailer hitches must be removable. It is also worth mentioning that the devices may have significant differences depending on the model range of cars. For example, for cars produced in Europe, Japan and our country, the coupling points with the towbar are radically different, and this must be taken into account when choosing a design with a towbar.
