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[Raymienets]

Hello All

Just a friendly post to the member of your club I happened to come across this afternoon, silver omega estate with white "oemga owners club" sticker in the rear window towing a met gold omega saloon.

Whilst I appreciate that there are occassions where a vehicle enthusiast may wish to help another fellow member or feeling that he or she knows what they are doing perhaps this particular member may wish to think before he embarks upon a journey of illegality and of course potentially put his life or that of other road users at risk. I am sad to report such an incident this afternoon whilst displaying the good name of your club in the rear window.

The silver omega was pulling what seemed to be a decent omega saloon, however on an A frame (specifically allowed only for the removal of disabled vehicles from IMMEDIATE DANGER), the chap had placed two rear brake/tail lights run off a power feed from the towing vehicle, not a problem apart from the fact that the o/s was not working, THERE WERE NO INDICATORS fitted next to the part functioning rear tail lights, the law also says that ANY TOWING VEHICLE must display the number plate of the pulling vehicle, hence why recovery guys use a light bar with lights, the towing vehicle HAD NO REAR INDICATORS fitted to the car being towed, the offending vehicles were travelling at a slower speed than the normal traffic speed and thus HAS TO HAVE A BEACON FLASHING,(not hazard warning lights as that causes confusion to other motorists).

Given this rank amateurish and dam right illegal approach it begs the question whether he had the appropriate insurance cover for towing another vehicle (probably not), and if doing this act for some form of financial reward, whether he had a tachograph fitted to the towing vehicle.

If this is you and your happily reading this thread thinking you complete *******, let me just say I have posted this as a public flogging in order to save you from 6 points on your licence, impounding of your rather nice omega saloon and around £2-3000 fine from VOSA should there have been any money or the potential for money to be gifted by the recipient of the nice shinny gold omega.

Consider yourself flogged and just think before you do these things on the public highway.  

That's something I will have to remember when my son breaks down on the motorway and I receive a call from the Traffic cops asking me to tow him off or be liable for payment of a recovery vehicle. Do I tell them that a Don't have a tachograph or a beacon in my car aye right.

Sorry cops just want a vehicle moved as soon as possible of the hard shoulder and couldn't care less about beacons,insurance etc.

[Ian_D]

Not me

Character is right in what he says about A frames-

http://www.ntta.co.uk/faq/default.htm

"An A-frame or dolly can only be used to recover a broken down vehicle to a place of safety. Transporting a car is, therefore, illegal. A-frames may be offered with a braking system that applies the car's brakes. These do not conform to the law as the car then becomes a "braked trailer" and has to conform to European Directives contained within the Construction and Use Regulations. It does not conform to the European Directive 71/320/EEC and amendments regarding braking requirements in any way. The use of this A-frame for transportation is illegal. It is still OK for use to recover a vehicle to a place of safety."

and Note on A-Frames and Dollies, issued by the Department for Transport  see http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/a-frames.shtml

I rest my case, the towing vehicle didnt look disabled, in fact looked rather nice and clean as if he'd just bought it, the fact that he had additional lights (if not working correctly) goes to show that he oe she might be in the habbit if doing this.

The other point, if the vehicle is being towed on a A frame, then it should also have to RFL as all four wheels are on the highway and insurance, bet you didnt know that one  

I do know that Mr Bloggs has a habbit of buying nice clean Omegas to repair / break... Often they visually look fine, but have either dead engines (Ie cambelt snapped) or gearboxes etc which is possibly the reason its been towed.

I didnt know about RFL, I thought that if its attached to another car your covered and the same for insurance as its just a trailor (only 3rd party on the trailor though)... Learn something new everyday if thats the case anyway  

[character]

I agree with nickbat though in regards to the lighting, thats the only area of concern tbh.

But if you were on the motorway... how do you know the indicators were not working??[/quote]

Hazards on the towing vehicle, not operating on the towed vehicle.

neither working on the towing vehicle nor the vehicle being towed I'm afraid in this instance, that's the fact that the roof line of both vehicles was the same so you had to think for a moment what were you coming up behind, which of course means you're on him before you know it !!  

[hotel21]

Hello All

Just a friendly post to the member of your club I happened to come across this afternoon, silver omega estate with white "oemga owners club" sticker in the rear window towing a met gold omega saloon.

Whilst I appreciate that there are occassions where a vehicle enthusiast may wish to help another fellow member or feeling that he or she knows what they are doing perhaps this particular member may wish to think before he embarks upon a journey of illegality and of course potentially put his life or that of other road users at risk. I am sad to report such an incident this afternoon whilst displaying the good name of your club in the rear window.

The silver omega was pulling what seemed to be a decent omega saloon, however on an A frame (specifically allowed only for the removal of disabled vehicles from IMMEDIATE DANGER), the chap had placed two rear brake/tail lights run off a power feed from the towing vehicle, not a problem apart from the fact that the o/s was not working, THERE WERE NO INDICATORS fitted next to the part functioning rear tail lights, the law also says that ANY TOWING VEHICLE must display the number plate of the pulling vehicle, hence why recovery guys use a light bar with lights, the towing vehicle HAD NO REAR INDICATORS fitted to the car being towed, the offending vehicles were travelling at a slower speed than the normal traffic speed and thus HAS TO HAVE A BEACON FLASHING,(not hazard warning lights as that causes confusion to other motorists).

Given this rank amateurish and dam right illegal approach it begs the question whether he had the appropriate insurance cover for towing another vehicle (probably not), and if doing this act for some form of financial reward, whether he had a tachograph fitted to the towing vehicle.

If this is you and your happily reading this thread thinking you complete *******, let me just say I have posted this as a public flogging in order to save you from 6 points on your licence, impounding of your rather nice omega saloon and around £2-3000 fine from VOSA should there have been any money or the potential for money to be gifted by the recipient of the nice shinny gold omega.

Consider yourself flogged and just think before you do these things on the public highway.  

That's something I will have to remember when my son breaks down on the motorway and I receive a call from the Traffic cops asking me to tow him off or be liable for payment of a recovery vehicle. Do I tell them that a Don't have a tachograph or a beacon in my car aye right.

Sorry cops just want a vehicle moved as soon as possible of the hard shoulder and couldn't care less about beacons,insurance etc.

Yes and no...

Cops want the roads kept safe for all but cannot condone the use of ropes etc to remove vehicles unlawfully.  Thats why Trafpol had towropes removed from the vehicles ages ago and now all operate on managed recovery schemes.

If a rope was allowed to be used and it snapped and caused a multi pile up and loss of life then, in this litigaous age, would you, as the surviving relative, quietly say that they were just trying to get a job done?  Dont think so....

[JueV6]

I towed a Miggy back from North Devon on an "A_Frame" at 50-55mph. Mr Plod was in lane 1 travelling at 50mph so i went into lane 2 to overtake. I wasn't even given a second look. Tail lights and plate but No Beacon.

Although I have now changed towing vehicles to a Range Rover I was using another Mig at the time.

[Nickbat]

BTW, welcome Character!  

What is your mode of transport?

A breakdown truck by chance?

I suspect, but none the less welcome...

its white, it has 4 wheels and........ a tacho  

Nice!

Any chance of cheap tow rates? (Now, you're a member!)  

[character]

BTW, welcome Character!  

What is your mode of transport?

do us a favour, can you delet that photo, seems to leave my photobucket site open to others  

I'd guess its a "high horse"
 sorry but that dude needs to get a life
 
Doug

Chap obviously does it (car transport etc) to earn a wage....

He certainly has some towing rig!

can you take that photo off please, seems to leave a link to me photobucket account, got photos of me late father on there  

[doog]

I agree with nickbat though in regards to the lighting, thats the only area of concern tbh.

But if you were on the motorway... how do you know the indicators were not working??[/quote]

Hazards on the towing vehicle, not operating on the towed vehicle.

neither I'm afraid in this instance, that's the fact that the roof line of both vehicles was the same so you had to think for a moment what were you coming up behind, which of course means you're on him before you know it !!  

I dont think a car towing another car is a complicated thing to understand  

(wrote alot more but decided to delete it as i like it here)

 Doug

[doog]

BTW, welcome Character!  

What is your mode of transport?

I'd guess its a "high horse"
 sorry but that dude needs to get a life
 
Doug

Chap obviously does it (car transport etc) to earn a wage....

He certainly has some towing rig!

see its a horse box haha  

Doug

[PaulW]

BTW, welcome Character!  

What is your mode of transport?

do us a favour, can you delet that photo, seems to leave my photobucket site open to others  

I'd guess its a "high horse"
 sorry but that dude needs to get a life
 
Doug

Chap obviously does it (car transport etc) to earn a wage....

He certainly has some towing rig!

can you take that photo off please, seems to leave a link to me photobucket account, got photos of me late father on there  

When posts with images are quoted, the link is preserved (as yours was earlier)

Easiest way to prevent 'browsing' is to set a password onto the Account.  You can still hotling images to forums and such, but people will not be able to just 'browse' your account

[Nickbat]

BTW, welcome Character!  

What is your mode of transport?

I'd guess its a "high horse"
 sorry but that dude needs to get a life
 
Doug

Chap obviously does it (car transport etc) to earn a wage....

He certainly has some towing rig!

see its a horse box haha  

Doug

Wouldn't want to be the horse!  

[hotel21]

BTW, welcome Character!  

What is your mode of transport?

do us a favour, can you delet that photo, seems to leave my photobucket site open to others  

I'd guess its a "high horse"
 sorry but that dude needs to get a life
 
Doug

Chap obviously does it (car transport etc) to earn a wage....

He certainly has some towing rig!

can you take that photo off please, seems to leave a link to me photobucket account, got photos of me late father on there  

If you log out your account then access should be restricted to the pics posted only, as I understand it?  You can edit your post to delete as well...

[PaulW]

RE: Locking/Restricting access to Photobucket

Account Options (top-right of page)
->Album Settings

Set to 'Private'
Put in a password

Also, untick 'Images link back to Album' for added security  

[Nickbat]

57 replies, 510 views, all in 68 minutes...on a Sunday around midnight, too!

Must be a record!  

[SheWhoMustNotBeOUTBID]

With reference to the towing image that shouldn't really have been put on here.., I think I've just found my B'day prezzie.., Jue take HINT.  I want one of them lolol! Forget the engagement ring (for now).., I want one of them lolol!