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| Thread ID: 62953 | 2005-10-24 21:39:00 | Road user chargers for diesel AND petrol vehicles | tweak'e (69) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 398971 | 2005-10-26 00:36:00 | IANAL but doesn't this bit from Interpretation section of the Act "[``Gross weight'', in relation to a motor vehicle, means the weight which is transmitted to the road surface through the axle or group of axles of the vehicle, and includes all weight exerted on that vehicle by any other vehicle: Provided that— (a)Without limiting the methods by which the gross weight of a vehicle may be determined, the gross weight of a motor vehicle may be determined by adding the weight transmitted to the road surface at different parts of the vehicle: (b)Where the gross weight of any one of a combination of vehicles is to be ascertained, nothing in this Act shall require the vehicles comprising the combination to be detached from each other and be separately weighed:]" mean that it is the weight transmitted through the tow bar to the RUC vehicle not the trailer weight that counts? |
PaulD (232) | ||
| 398972 | 2005-10-26 01:00:00 | Thats the problem Paul - trying to interpret what it all means. You'll also see that Section 2 defines "motorvehicle" to include a trailer. Now, I didn't clearly see anything which said that trailer weight can be added to the vehicle's weight but if the "motorvehicle" includes the trailer as an all-up vehicle, then it must include it's weight. Except I don't know that the definition should be read that way. Welcome to the arcane world of statutory interpretation. :rolleyes: |
Winston001 (3612) | ||
| 398973 | 2005-10-26 01:01:00 | my take on it was that with HT vechiles trailers have hubomerters and seperate RUC. as light trailers don't (i guess that hubometers would cost more than the trailer) they simply bundle the weight with the towing vechiles weight so they can collect the RUC from the trailer. also max weight for class 1 lience is the combined weight of vechile(s), trailers and load which is clearly spelt out in the rules. at the end of the day my worry is that we travel a lot on major highways on which the cops are pulling people over left right and centre (we see someone caught EVERY time we have been out) and we carry quite a bit of weight (~5.5ton) at this time of year. |
tweak'e (69) | ||
| 398974 | 2005-10-26 01:18:00 | my take on it was that with HT vechiles trailers have hubomerters and seperate RUC. as light trailers don't (i guess that hubometers would cost more than the trailer) they simply bundle the weight with the towing vechiles weight so they can collect the RUC from the trailer. also max weight for class 1 lience is the combined weight of vechile(s), trailers and load which is clearly spelt out in the rules. Yet for other licence classes "For Class 2 and 4 licences, towing a light trailer (gross laden weight of 3,500 kg or less) isn't considered a combination vehicle. Don't count the weight of the light trailer in any weight calculations." Taxation by confusion? |
PaulD (232) | ||
| 398975 | 2005-10-26 01:32:00 | Yet for other licence classes "For Class 2 and 4 licences, towing a light trailer (gross laden weight of 3,500 kg or less) isn't considered a combination vehicle. Don't count the weight of the light trailer in any weight calculations." Taxation by confusion? not really, class2 licence etc has no bearing on what RUC you pay or how its payed. seeing as big rigs don't normally tow light trailers its proberly not an issue and the big rig RUC would be enough to cover the small amount of weight you can fit on a light trailer. ie 20 ton truck, another 2.5 ton is minor. however its a big deal when the truck is only 3 ton. also i think (i will have to check this, so don't quote me) that with class2 and above you need a trailer licence for towing trailers. edit: nope thats not right its all done on weight. |
tweak'e (69) | ||
| 398976 | 2005-10-26 06:34:00 | Another aspect of towing trailers that you may or may not have the correct licence for, is whether the towing vehicle is rated to tow that trailer. Check out the rating on your towbar. Most large cars and 4wd's towbars will be rated to tow an unbraked trailer of 500-600 kg, and a braked trailer maybe 1500-2000kg. Now how many boat trailers with say 15ft boats on have brakes? And they will weigh much more than the unbraked rating on the cars towbar. Yet they get issued with WOF's like this. But what will your insurance company say if you you crash while towing a trailer that your car is not rated to tow? | Andrew B (867) | ||
| 398977 | 2005-10-26 08:15:00 | ..... Now how many boat trailers with say 15ft boats on have brakes? And they will weigh much more than the unbraked rating on the cars towbar. Yet they get issued with WOF's like this......Most big trailors i've seen in resent years have brakes. However, there's nothing wrong with the car or the trailor, just the combination. Somewhere along the way the warrent system has to have (false) hope that a person with a trailer that big in't going to tow it with a mobile shopping cart. Its like how fan powered diesel heaters are legal, so are small caravans.. What's the bet that somewhere some dumb**** has put the combination together, and got surprised that 10 minutes later when home sweet home had erupted in flames? |
personthingy (1670) | ||
| 398978 | 2005-10-26 20:26:00 | i looked into the towing rules a little while ago . strangely enough a vechiles towing rating is NOT a legal requirement . Most vehicles have tow ratings given to them by the manufacturer specifying the gross trailer weight braked, unbraked, or both, that the vehicle can safely tow . Although the law does not require these tow ratings to be followed BUT the law requires that every light vehicle and trailer combination must be capable of stopping within a distance of seven metres from a speed of 30 km/h . i'll have to double check but you don't need brakes on trailers if the trailer+load is less than 2000kg . its quite legal to tow 2 ton with a mini, provided you can stop in 7 meters from a speed of 30km/h . who has EVER tested if thay can actually stop in that distance ?? noone i bet . the only other thing is the tow bal coupling on the trailer must be rated for the load on the trailer ie 2 ton load on a 500kg trailer must have a minimum 2500kg coupling, however you are allowed to tow that 2 . 5 ton with a 500kg rated tow bar ! ! ! the law is an ass :( |
tweak'e (69) | ||
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