A trailer and jeep driver is set for a day in court after Gardaí brought them to a halt last week.
Gardaí in Bailieboro found that the gross combination weight exceeded the permittable value by 3T.
Trailer and jeep driver
In a post on social media, a spokesperson for Cavan Monaghan Garda Division said:
“Earlier in the week, this vehicle was stopped by the Gardai in Bailieboro.”
“The legal gross combination weight of this jeep, trailer and load should not exceed six tonnes.”
“It turned out that the gross combination weight, in this case, was nine tonnes.”
“As can be seen, the excessive weight caused one of the tyres to fail. There were also no tail lights or brake lights on the trailer.”
“The vehicle and trailer were seized for a PSV inspection, and a prosecution will now follow,” the spokesperson added.
Towing trailers
According to the RSA, a category B driving licence permits you to drive a car, van or 4 x 4, which has a maximum mass (as specified by the manufacturer) of not more than 3,500kg and is designed and constructed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver.
Furthermore, you may tow a trailer with a maximum mass (again as specified by the manufacturer) not greater than 750kg, or where the maximum mass is more than 750kg, the combined maximum mass of the towing vehicle and the trailer is not greater than 3,500kg.
A category B licence does not entitle the holder to tow a horsebox or a livestock trailer because the combined maximum mass would exceed 3,500kg.
The maximum speed limit for a vehicle towing a trailer is 80km/h. To note, this also applies on roads where the posted road sign speed limit is higher.
DGVW
You will find the Design Gross Vehicle Weight (DGVW) of your trailer on its plate. The Design Gross Vehicle Weight (DGVW), also sometimes referred to as Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM), is the weight of the trailer, including the maximum load it can carry, as per the manufacturer’s design specifications.
According to the RSA, all new light trailers sold after October 29th, 2012, must legally be plated. You can contact an existing trailer manufacturer in your area and ask them to plate it for you.
Further reading
The authority has produced a booklet covering road safety advice and driver licensing rules for drawing light trailers, which you can find here.
