supplemental braking and out of state
hi, i live in a state that does not require supplemental braking systems on a towed vehicle. regardless on how one feels about the need for them my question is what is the law if you drive in...
Forum Discussion
mowermech wrote:rjstractor wrote:robatthelake wrote:
Since there is not one single auxiliary braking system manufacturer that has received any sort of official seal of approval for their product line it seems to this humble scribe a wee bit contrite for any of them to be promulgating any information about any particular legal requirements.
I have checked with the Department of Transport ( DOT ) USA! the Minister of Transport in Canada
As well as My own Provincial Ministry here in BC Canada and not one of them can offer any opinion on the subject!
Now I personally am of the opinion that there should be a minimum stopping distance requirement and a breakaway feature required for any and all towed vehicles regardless if they are Trailers or Towed Vehicles.
That said I am tired of hearing all the Bovine Excrement stories regarding so called Towing Laws and Rumoured Insurance denials that are frequently published on this site!
The bottom line is that's even the Tow Bars and Base Plates that We are using have no real standards.
By all means Do what You can to make Our Roads Safe for everyone and drive carefully always!
I'm with Rob. As far as I know, there are no design or performance standards in place for any of the supplemental braking systems on the market. Pretty hard for a law to require something when there is no standard of even definition of what it is. Nearly all automotive components, like lights, brakes, wheels, hitches, and yes, tow bars have DOT design standards. Nothing like that exists for supplemental braking systems. One has to wonder why.
IMO, the "WHY" is very simple: Nobody has ever convinced a State Legislature that such systems are absolutely necessary for the safety of the motoring public, nor has anybody ever convinced those who write the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
Therefore, laws or regulations requiring such systems have never been written.
Consumer Reports or Good Housekeeping have never tested the systems because not enough are sold to make such testing worth the time and cost.
Well then, just why do we have 5 US states that require brakes on towed vehicles. Better catch them up to speed.
