About your vehicle

Light trailer requirements

If you tow a light trailer (up to 3500kg when loaded), it must have a WoF. To meet the WoF standard your trailer must be in good condition (no rust around safety areas) and it must have the following equipment in good working order:

1. A safe and strong coupling and a safety chain or cable.
2. If the trailer or its load is more than 2 metres wide, it must have two white lights at the front to show how wide it is.
3. Safe tyres – the tread depth must be at least 1.5 millimetres right around the tyre.
4. Mudguards.
5. Two red reflectors at the back (one on each side).

Your trailer will also need the following features:

1. Two red lights at the back to show how wide the trailer is.
2. Direction indicators at the back.
3. Two red stop lights at the back, if the driver's signals can't be seen.
4. A number plate light at the back.
5. A current trailer WoF issued by a WoF inspector. This must be renewed:
   • every 12 months for the first six years, then
   • every six months after.
6. A licence label needs to be positioned close to the number plate.

Loading your trailer safely

To ensure the stability of the vehicle and trailer combination when towing, the trailer should exert a downwards force on the towing vehicle's towbar equal to about 10 percent of the weight of the trailer plus its load.

The load on the trailer must not:

• extend more than 4 metres behind the rear axle

• extend more than 1.25 metres on either side from the centre of the trailer.

If the load extends more than 1 metre behind the trailer, you must tie on a white flag, or a red, orange or yellow fluorescent flag. The flag must be at least 40 centimetres by 30 centimetres in size. The load must be tied on firmly and must not touch the ground.

See Safe towing guidelines for more information.

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Last updated: 29 May 2013