Among other consumer protection measures, the legislation requires towing companies to allow vehicle owners to remove their personal belongings from their vehicles free of charge. If you are towing 2 trailers, make sure you follow all the regulations and safety measures – because you will take on a whole new level of responsibility with this second trailer. Your ability to maneuver (or stop safely) in confined spaces may be severely limited. One thing is for sure, you can forget about securing if you tow three times – everything turning as you like in a triple tow setup will be almost impossible! Flat towing requires a hitch attached to the front of the vehicle. The towbar is attached to the towbar, and all four wheels of the car roll freely on the ground. Although this reduces the towing weight, not all cars can be towed this way. Complaints of abusive towing practices are fairly common, according to filings with the Ohio Attorney General`s Office. To that end, the federal DOT doesn`t want any part of regulating non-commercial situations — so they leave it up to each state to set its own limits for towing recreational vehicles. There are 4 great websites that list the rules and regulations for trailer towing – by state and vehicle: The Ohio legislature has passed several laws in recent weeks, including amendments to regulate towing services. Follow our political coverage on Twitter at @Ohio_Politics. Predatory towing practices are more common in larger cities, where more traffic goes in and out and parking lots are harder to find, said Ken Meadows, owner of M&M Towing in Middletown. Meadows said his company is hired by owners to remove abandoned cars at the owner`s expense. Most of the cars confiscated by M&M are left on the property by owners who no longer want them.
Types of towing The first thing you need to consider is how you are going to tow your vehicle. There are two common types of towing: trailer towing and towing flat or rubber dinghy. Safety precautions Once you know what type of towing you need, there are a number of safety measures to consider. Most states require: If 1 vehicle is towing another vehicle, the drawbar or other connection must not exceed 15 feet from one vehicle to another. Over the past two years, the office has registered 136 towing complaints. Local complaints ranged from damage to a vehicle to the lack of a receipt for handing over a vehicle to a towing company. Towing a trailer, as the name suggests, requires attaching a trailer to the back of your RV or truck and driving the second vehicle on the trailer. Two- and four-wheel trailers are available. The first lifts the two front tires of the towed vehicle and lets the rear tires roll freely on the road, while the second carries the entire car. ¢ Requires towing service before taking a vehicle out of a private towing area to take photos to show the violation. Here`s some good news: In many states, it`s legal to pull 2 subscribers at a time. The new law helps set certain statewide standards, such as a $90 towing fee specifically to remove a vehicle parked illegally on private property and a $12-per-day fee for storage once a vehicle is towed, according to the AAA Ohio Auto Club.
While the rule changes apply to non-consensual towing practices and not emergency roadside assistance, the AAA says it is keeping pace with the law to protect the interests of its members. ¢ Requires a towing service to notify the owner or operator of an arriving vehicle after the vehicle has been prepared for towing of the option to pay a “deposit fee” or half of the towing fee for vehicle release. Some states allow “double towing,” “triple towing,” or how you want to characterize a situation where you have 2 trailers behind a towing vehicle in commercial truck classifications. But these rules must not be transferred to the motorhome world! The only way to get fully accurate information about triple towing is to contact the Department of Transportation or the highway patrol offices in your state and any states you plan to cross. “The bill was intended to minimize predatory towing practices,” said Bill Linsenmayer, director of automotive services for AAA Ohio franchise. “I think it helps define what they`re allowed to do.” Legal Requirements and Insurance Some states require you to have a special mention on your driver`s license to drive a large RV or a vehicle that tows a trailer. In other states, you may not need confirmation, but you must be over a certain age (18 or 21) to drive a car that tows a trailer or other vehicle. Additional insurance may also be required for legal towing of cars. If you`re planning a trip, be sure to check the towing laws and regulations of your state and each state you`ll be passing through. Of course, nothing is ever simple and simple. When it comes to government VDDs, the RV world and the commercial trucking world are two separate entities. By Scott Huntington, an NMA guest blogger who is an automotive writer from central Pennsylvania.
Check out his work on Off The Throttle or follow him on Twitter@SMHuntington. If the connection consists only of a chain, rope or cable, a white flag or cloth of at least 12 square inches must be affixed to this connection. Allows vehicle owners to retrieve their personal belongings upon presentation of proof of ownership, without picking up the motor vehicle and without paying any fees – unless the vehicle is the subject of a criminal investigation. ¢ Allows vehicle owners to file civil lawsuits against towing companies that break the law. Trailers shall carry 2 red reflectors either in the rear lights or separately. Each trailer or semi-trailer shall be equipped with a coupling device designed and constructed in such a way that the trailer essentially follows the path of the vehicle towing it, without whipping or deviating from one side to the other. Terry Fleming, a lobbyist for the Towing and Recovery Association of Ohio, said the legislative changes are costly. For example, parking signs warning people that their vehicles may be towed need to be updated.
He said tow truck drivers are not appreciated enough by the public. Commercial triples are installed so that the air braking system continues through the 3 parts. And the second trailer rolls on a semi-trailer — not on a 2-inch chrome ball, which was purchased from the local hardware store. When commercial vehicles brake, all wheels operate simultaneously with the same pressure. Of course, these resources should only be considered as basic guidelines, as laws change and information can be confused in translation. Ohio`s trailer laws and regulations are listed below: It is prohibited to drive a tourist trailer or a non-self-propelled prefabricated home.
