supplemental braking and out of state

rjkfsm wrote:

K Charles wrote:
here

Finally, keep this in mind: The 700lb U-Haul tow dolly has no brakes and is 50 state legal with a 4,300lb car or lighter.

RK

AMEN to that!!! Never made any sense to me that when I towed my Toyota "Avalon" on a dolly, I had NO legal requirement to have any kind of braking system at all. Keep in mind that the dolly also had a very simple 5,000lb rated ball hitch! However, to legally tow my Jeep "Liberty," they want 10,000 capacity towing systems, braking, break-away braking, separate tail lights, etc....

Seems like overkill to me....

after reasearching this subject i have come to the conclusion that there is no actual legal requirements anywhere when a car is towed.

just about every state has nothing pertaining to a car itself being towed.

its trailers etc.

every site i went to that sold safety brake products emphasized info applying to trailers.

having said that it seems having a supplemental brake system is not a bad thing either-but it is not legally required

SolidAxleDurango wrote:
I love when people bring "insurance won't cover it!" Into the conversation.... Those people are very gullible. OR they don't have enough sense to ask probing questions to get to the true story.

If an insurance company didn't have to pay out a claim if the negligent party was breaking a law, then liability insurance would not exist. Period.

In EVERY accident, someone breaks the law. Further, there is no such thing as an "accident" in the general terms in which that phrase is used. Instead, that person who caused the wreck should be deemed, "unintentionally acting in an unlawful and negligent manner".

Chew on that for a while.

Exactly, SolidAxle. The URBAN MYTH about insurance not having to pay in an auto accident if you are not in compliance with a DOT law, is one of those ridiculous myths that just will not die.

Really irks me how certain people just insist on propagating that myth over and over when this subject comes up, no matter how many times it gets refuted and shown to be complete nonsense.

..Makes me wonder how many folks on here do little more than regurgitate what they read somewhere else on an internet forum, without thinking it through some or having any realistic, real world experience to back up what they say.

All that said, and back to the original question: As already said, when it comes to DOT, safety laws, you do have to comply with whatever state you're traveling in, not your home state. I would also agree, like already has been suggested, that the chances of you ever getting cited for such probably range somewhere between slim and none.

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.

rockhillmanor wrote:

SolidAxleDurango wrote:
.....If an insurance company didn't have to pay out a claim if the negligent party was breaking a law, then liability insurance would not exist. Period. .

Been there done that with house insurance. I had a ben franklin stove in the family room. Came with the house. Insurance agent said he could not insure the house with a ben franklin free standing stove.
We said we would remove it after closing.

My agents comment was if the house burned it had better not be there 'just' in case we were 'thinking' of leaving it in the house. Because if it was discovered they would not pay the claim.

DIFFERENT rules for every state, city county and circumstance, regarding insurance. Read your policy there ARE exceptions and if you breach those exceptions they do NOT have to pay the claim. Period.

Which is why it is often posted to advise op's to check 'their' state laws AND insurance company policies. It is not the same all over.

How is having an unapproved/uninsurable appliance in your home the same as someone breaking traffic laws?

SolidAxleDurango wrote:
.....If an insurance company didn't have to pay out a claim if the negligent party was breaking a law, then liability insurance would not exist. Period. .

Been there done that with house insurance. I had a ben franklin stove in the family room. Came with the house. Insurance agent said he could not insure the house with a ben franklin free standing stove.
We said we would remove it after closing.

My agents comment was if the house burned it had better not be there 'just' in case we were 'thinking' of leaving it in the house. Because if it was discovered they would not pay the claim.

DIFFERENT rules for every state, city county and circumstance, regarding insurance. Read your policy there ARE exceptions and if you breach those exceptions they do NOT have to pay the claim. Period.

Which is why it is often posted to advise op's to check 'their' state laws AND insurance company policies. It is not the same all over.

gerrym51 wrote:
since i started this thread-i was looking at lists available from suppliers of these brake systems.

most states actually have no rules under the car being towed.


i am looking at roadmaster invisibrake. any opinions

I use the RViBrake2. It is easy to install and remove, doesn't require any vehicle modification/cost to install, and provides proportional braking which is easier on the towing equipment.

I have been saying for years that there is a difference in towing a trailer and a vehicle (as in a towed) When you get into a discussion the same argument is presented. "Well, look at the towing laws in *name state*" or "hope you don't have a wreck cause your insurance will not cover you if you don't have a braking system". Many states do not even address towing an automobile in their traffic laws. Thanks for making my point guys

I love when people bring "insurance won't cover it!" Into the conversation.... Those people are very gullible. OR they don't have enough sense to ask probing questions to get to the true story.

If an insurance company didn't have to pay out a claim if the negligent party was breaking a law, then liability insurance would not exist. Period.

In EVERY accident, someone breaks the law. Further, there is no such thing as an "accident" in the general terms in which that phrase is used. Instead, that person who caused the wreck should be deemed, "unintentionally acting in an unlawful and negligent manner".

Chew on that for a while.

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!