not exceed the weight of the empty
car. Floats with an ATM over 750kg
must have brakes fitted, so that
really insists that all floats be fitted
with brakes. Common sense tells us
that brakes must be maintained and
brake fluid levels need to be checked
on a regular basis.
The wonderful news is that most
vehicle manufacturers specify
towing limits to their vehicles in
their handbooks. For vehicles of
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) 4.5
tonnes or less the following limits
are acceptable:
least equal to the loaded mass of the
trailer. A towbar fitted to a vehicle
built after January 1992 must
be marked with its load capacity
and either the vehicle model for
which it is designed or the towbar
manufacturer’s part number.
The towbar must not protrude
dangerously or have sharp corners
that could be a safety hazard when
not fitted to the vehicle. The safety
chain attachments must be able to
withstand the rated load capacity of
the towbar.
• Towing limits specified by the
vehicle manufacturer must not
be exceeded, otherwise safety will
be compromised. Excessive loads
may also damage vehicles.
• If the vehicle’s towing capacity
cannot be determined, the loaded
mass of the trailer must not
exceed the empty mass (Tare)
of the towing vehicle, excepting
where the trailer is fitted with
brakes (all horse floats), in which
case the loaded mass of the trailer
must not exceed 1.5 times the
empty mass of the towing vehicle.
The loaded mass of the trailer
must not exceed the towing
capacity of any component in
the vehicle/trailer combination,
including the towbar and towball.
Now armed with this advice
you can consult your vehicle’s
handbook or gain extra
information from the dealer
and having assessed your loads,
including the estimated weight
of the animals, plus allowing for
extras and additions you are ready
to couple the vehicle to the trailer,
or are you?
There are a few more considerations
to make sure you are legal. There
are Towbar safety requirements to
consider. This must comply with
Australian Design Rules, Standards
and Regulations. The capacity of
your trailer and towbar must be at
D Shackle and Chain both rated to the
Australian Satndard stamped 4177
Finally there are some rules that
you may not be aware of:
• When towing a trailer the
maximum speed at which you may
tow is 100 kilometres per hour
and you must of course obey the
posted speed limits.
• If your vehicle including trailers
and load is longer than 7.5m or
has a total mass of more than
4.5 tonnes you may not stop
on carriageways unless it is an
emergency and then you must use
hazard warning lights.
Stopping on a carriageway in a
built up area must be less than
one hour’s duration, stopping
longer than this can result in a
fine, unless you are picking up or
delivering goods. So take care if
you stop for a meal or coffee brake
and try and find a spot that you
can pull over off the road.
On roads outside a built up area
that do not have more than
one lane in the direction you
are driving, there are specific
minimum following distances for
long vehicles (goosenecks and
extended floats). If your vehicle
is longer than 7.5m long or longer
you may not follow closer than
200m to a similar vehicle in front
of you. So be careful to keep these
distances especially if you are
travelling with companions. The
only exception is when you are
overtaking.
• To overcome tiredness and have
a little power nap, pull well over
or in fact use the rest spots that
are situated on main roads and
highways.
The safety chain attachments
must be mounted adjacent to the
tow coupling and arranged as to
maintain the direction of the trailer
in the event of coupling failure or
disconnection. If a D Shackle is
being used then make sure that it
is compliant with the Australian
Standards as AS 2741 “Shackles”
or other equivalent recognised
standard, as recommended
by the reputable trailer
manufacturer or an
engineer.
• Driving whilst texting or using a
mobile phone will certainly result
in a serious fine if caught.
The haulage of any animal or animals
should be carried out in a responsible
manner. The non-compliance of Rules
and Regulations could result in a
costly sum and the injury of both
horses and humans, and even death
as the worst scenario. Ignorance is
no excuse. So take care when you
hitch up and safe travelling.
Photos printed with
permission of:
Foundation Equine
Sharon Palmieri
Tania Hobbs
March •• April
April •• 2016
2016 •• The
The Australian
Australian Quarter
Quarter Horse
Horse Magazine
Magazine •• Page
Page 39
39
March