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Section 65: Restriction on number of trailers drawn

Road Traffic Act 1972 · 1972 c. 20View on legislation.gov.uk

Part II: Construction and Use of Vehicles and Equipment

Subject to subsection (2) below, the number of trailers, if any, which may be drawn by a motor vehicle on a highway shall not exceed—

in the case of a heavy locomotive or light locomotive, three;
in the case of a motor tractor, one, if laden, or two, if unladen;
in the case of a motor car or a heavy motor car, one;

or such less number as may be prescribed in relation to vehicles of the respective classes aforesaid by regulations made by the Secretary of State, and different regulations may be made under this subsection as respects vehicles of those classes in different circumstances.

Regulations under subsection (1) above may substitute, in the case of such trailers or in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations, two for one as the number of trailers that may be drawn by any class of vehicle so specified.

For the purposes of this section the expression " trailer " shall not include a vehicle used solely for carrying water for the purposes of the drawing vehicle or an agricultural vehicle not constructed to carry a load.

Where—

a motor car or heavy motor car is, in consequence of a breakdown, being drawn by another motor vehicle, and
a trailer is so attached to the car that part of the trailer is superimposed on the car and that, when the trailer is uniformly loaded, not less than twenty per cent. of the weight of its load is borne by the car,

then, if the trailer is unladen the car and trailer shall for the purposes of this section be treated as a single trailer.

If a person causes or permits a trailer to be drawn in contravention of this section he shall be guilty of an offence.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.