The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is calling for members of the public to share their trailer towing experiences in a bid to improve safety and promote accredited training courses.
Closing on Friday (26 May), the anonymous survey explores a range of topics including your current trailer towing experience and confidence, your knowledge around safe towing and your views on towing training courses.
This survey is intended for people with towing experience or who intend to tow in the near future, and is relevant to those who tow horse trailers, as well as caravans, box trailers or other items towed by a car, such as farming equipment or a trailer tent.
The DVSA is encouraging anyone who plans to tow, to get training from an accredited provider. Accredited trailer training schemes are based on standards set by DVSA and the national standards and syllabus.
New rules
On 16 December 2021, the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency announced that drivers who passed their car driving test after 1 January 1997 are now allowed to tow trailers up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass. This affected numerous horse owners who previously needed to take and pass a trailer towing test in order to be able to tow their horses within the law.
The British Horse Society (BHS) is still urging equestrians to take lessons before they tow.
“The BHS encourages anyone new to towing, to seek a professional accredited training driving school to learn the safety critical aspects of towing, to keep you, your horse and other road users safe,” said a spokesman for the organisation.
It released ‘Are you sure it’s safe for me to travel’ cards, which horse owners can order free of charge and use to inform their driving decisions.
To request a copy of the ‘Equine Transport Safety Glovebox Guide’ click here and fill in the form.
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