Have You Been Fined For Having A Towbar ?

[Nostalgia]

Just in regards to a recent thread about the legalities of Towbars. A few people have stated that it is illegal to have the tongue attached to your towbar if its not in use. So lets hear it here. "HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN FINED FOR HAVING A TOWBAR" ???. (TONGUE INCLUDED).

[uranium_death]

Towbar has been attached for 7 years and a towball almost never.

We refuse to take it off for the following reason.

Back in '87, parent's VC station wagon was waiting to turn off Warragul Road when somebody well baked (BAC of 0.15) slammed into the back of the car. Towbar was bent at 90 degrees. Damage to the car was minimal, but the body warped. Towbar took all the force.

If people are stupid enough to hit my car by tailgating or not paying attention, then a nice surprise for them.

We've been hit many times even with the VT, but they were extremely low impact and the towbar took anything before the bumper did.

If it's illegal, the authorities can go suck on my lollipop.

[Mongoose]

I love having a towbar. My dad was driving in a car park, and some idiot in his fully sick skyline kept driving right up our and revving his engine, so dad slammed on the brakes, our towbar demolished this guys intercooler, and because he rear ended us, it was his fault! (and no, never been fined for having it on)

[CrankR]

haha love it!

[V3RSAC3]

Originally Posted by Mongoose

I love having a towbar. My dad was driving in a car park, and some idiot in his fully sick skyline kept driving right up our and revving his engine, so dad slammed on the brakes, our towbar demolished this guys intercooler, and because he rear ended us, it was his fault! (and no, never been fined for having it on)

love it, HAHAHA ...

same reason as i have mine ... in-case i get "rear-ended"

[Fev]

lol sounds like when my dad in his last car(statesman) some ****er kept stopping in front of him going up a hill in the middle of a road.. so he pushed him up the hill.. lol.. no damage.. the guy called the cops, cops called my dad.. dad explained and they told my dad he had been reported a few times for being a on the road..

moral.. people get their come uppins!

[jaydee]

To my knowledge the only time it's illegal to have a tow bar is if it obscures your number plate, if so just move the plate.
At least thats the law in WA.

[Neoxr6]

Originally Posted by jaydee

To my knowledge the only time it's illegal to have a tow bar is if it obscures your number plate, if so just move the plate.
At least thats the law in WA.

Same here in QLD Must not cover the plate at all.

[Tote]

The landrover has had the gooseneck attached since I first towed something in November 1999.....no fines here
Regards,
Tote

[devilcv8]

Originally Posted by jaydee

To my knowledge the only time it's illegal to have a tow bar is if it obscures your number plate, if so just move the plate.
At least thats the law in WA.

same in NSW. Any part of the numberplate can not be obscured.

I doubt any state has a law against tongue fitted when not in use

[V3RSAC3]

its the same in all states!

[normxb]

I've had towbars on all my cars since 1970 , was "rear ended" by a Police car , Beaconhill Rd Brookvale (Sydney) mid 80's , completely wrecked the L/H Grille ,Bumper & Light on the Police car by my towbar , (very embarressed Policeman) ,

Never been asked to take it off or fined .

Norm

[cupic]

Originally Posted by normxb

I've had towbars on all my cars since 1970 , was "rear ended" by a Police car , Beaconhill Rd Brookvale (Sydney) mid 80's , completely wrecked the L/H Grille ,Bumper & Light on the Police car by my towbar , (very embarressed Policeman) ,

Never been asked to take it off or fined .

Norm

THATS GOLD

[Dezza]

I took the tongue off for a couple of weeks, but it usually stays on. It did save the back of the car on one occasion when I got hit from behind. While the ute that hit me was a mess, my car had a dint under a taillight, a piece of glass embedded in the bootlid, and the corner of the bumper was pushed down by about 1.5 cms. I've been pulled over, but the police never mentioned the towbar.

[XR6_190]

Never been fined, but then again why should I, a tow bar is an essential part of the car for so many people.
Oh and yeah the tow bar on my AU saved me from having to get the back bumper repaired when my sister backed her Magna wagon into it, My sister wasn't happy, her grille had a big hole in it and my tow bar just stood proud.
Since then I've known that I will always have Tow bars no matter how ugly they may look they are better than a big dent

[GRNKPR]

Originally Posted by jaydee

To my knowledge the only time it's illegal to have a tow bar is if it obscures your number plate, if so just move the plate.
At least thats the law in WA.

same in Vic got booked about 15 years ago for obstruction of rego plate on my XB GS wagon i had (still got off a few speed camera fines cause it was there though)

[V3RSAC3]

Originally Posted by normxb

I've had towbars on all my cars since 1970 , was "rear ended" by a Police car , Beaconhill Rd Brookvale (Sydney) mid 80's , completely wrecked the L/H Grille ,Bumper & Light on the Police car by my towbar , (very embarressed Policeman) ,

Never been asked to take it off or fined .

Norm

now, if you didnt have that t-bar on ... the goverment would have replaced your car with a brand new one of equivelant model .. happened to my bro's GF's Neighbour

[normxb]

Originally Posted by V3RSAC3

now, if you didn't have that t-bar on ... the goverment would have replaced your car with a brand new one of equivelant model .. happened to my bro's GF's Neighbour

Hey That would have been cool , it was a "Peter Warren Special Vehicles 1980 XD S-pac 4 sp Wagon " , tinted glass , P/steer , Aircon , "Tow bar , the works .

Just had a look , it was on the corner of Beacon hill rd & Warringah Rd Beacon hill , I used to travel the road every Thursday about the same time and if I reported him , he'd be in big trouble !

I'd stopped to turn left (heavy traffic) and was waiting for a "gap" , then Bang ,,, he thought I'd gone , so he "gave it a foot full" Mmm I was still there , only damage to my car was a 5mm chip in the chrome/plastic bumper .

Warringah rd was a 60k zone , but everyone sat on 80k , I thought If I reported him , he'd bust me every week , so I said "no damage to my car !

His reply " Damn big dog I hit , wasn't it" . I saw him quite a number of times after that , "Big smile & Wave from the Police car " Worth it in the long run ,

Norm

[fairBA]

"I'm on my way to pickup the trailer now officer" or
"where the F^&k has my trailer gone?"

Have had family members asked to remove one, not because it was not been used but it made the number plate hard to read!

[jason_85]

earlier this yeah the i had the tongue off my towbar and a ne VE ran straight up the back of me.... luckily enough they hit square on in the abck of me and only damaged my rear bar but smashed there bar, grill, bonnet!

I now have put the tongue back in with my bike racket support which stays on there! My view is if a driver wants to run up the back of me then i want the least possible hassle of repairing my car and there car deserves everything it gets!!!

[Pinch]

Another aspect to leaving tongues on...

Back in the early noughties wife and I were rear ended in our Hyundai Lantra with towbar attached when a dog ran across a major Sydney road in peak hour. Missed the dog, so did the other cars, but 3 week old p plater behind panicked and accelerated into the back of our car. Problem was my wife had turned her head at the time to see if the dog made it, and the car behind hitting the towbar at full force transferred all the energy straight to the towbar and direct to the chassis (and thus seats). This resulted in minor damage to the Lantra's rear bar (and a stuffed towbar) but a permanent neck injury to my young wife. The hit was hard, but we have been told countless times by Dr's etc that if the towbar tongue weren't there we would have trashed the car more, and the neck less.

This neck issue is still a MAJOR issue 5 years later, and one we have to live with forever. It was made worse when our BA was being repaired after some idiot keyed it and my wife borrowed my brothers VT with towbar. Some idiot ran a red, wife stopped short but car behind didn't, again!. Made matters worse.

Whilst towbars do stop damage at lower speed rear enders, at higher speed ones they have the potential to cause real lasting personal injury as the energy bypasses the engineered crumple zones and transfers it straight to your body.

Personally, all three cars (BA, NC2 and Subie Forester) now have removable towbars and are NEVER on unless a trailer is attached, even though I tow regularly. The NC2 and Subie are Hayman Reese type removables so no issue. The BA is the standard Ford 1600. Two 19mm bolts. Keep the tongue and a 19mm spanner in the boot in case I need to tow away from home, less than a minute to take on or off can save a lifetime of pain.

Honestly I hope this advice remains purely academic to the readers here, but something well worth considering.

[fairBA]

Originally Posted by Pinch

Another aspect to leaving tongues on...

Whilst towbars do stop damage at lower speed rear enders, at higher speed ones they have the potential to cause real lasting personal injury as the energy bypasses the engineered crumple zones and transfers it straight to your body.

.

In all seriousness, that is an interesting point to read, I'd like to hear from a tow bar fitter what they think of this.

[aquahead2001]

I've been booked for obscured number plate that was “hidden” behind the tow ball. Sure bet failing the breathalyser test that the copper had stopped me for! I didn’t fail, but copped the $35 fine for being oh so close to failing….

Also was rear ended at least 25 years ago on my dad’s XB Falcon, tow bar penetrated right through the front of the old HR Holden even breaking the water pump.

About 7 years ago I returned that favour with an EF when I rear ended a Hilux 4X4 with a towbar that hung down about 350mm! Missed the airbag trigger by millimetres, but didn’t damage the radiator, although bonnet was curled right over like a wave! (Bonnet catch still worked!) ~$3k to repair!

[Poorboy_racer]

Got stopped by the Rozzers on my motorbike once.
Was clear he wanted to nick me for something.
He said you have clear indicator lenses (got amber bulbs) that has to be illigal, Im going to write you a ticket for that! As he started I pointed to the police commodor he had just got out of, and said ok lets see you write yourself one first officer number ***. It had clear lenses. He said oh, oh, ok maybe I will let you off then. Let me off !! I have done nothing wrong, you have waisted my time and I have your number. He said he had to go. No appology or nothing. Was still worth the hassle for the look on his face. The other officer was looking upwards as if to say what a tool !

[XR6_190]

My grandfather got Fined 'cause his towbar he had fitted to his VL Exec' obscured the number plate.

See goes to show you, VL's ARE grandpa cars :

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by GRNKPR

same in Vic got booked about 15 years ago for obstruction of rego plate on my XB GS wagon i had (still got off a few speed camera fines cause it was there though)

Yeah I was done for the same thing in my first car, 1983 Telstar. Factory towbar position yet I still copped a fine. If it was illegal, then how did the car pass roadworthy?? Had my licence for only 3 days as well....

[AWD Chaser]

Got fined in NSW for having my towbar (fitted from dealer) on my VK sedan. Got finned in this case because it was blocking the number plate... mind you, this wasn't a Haymen Reice bar, and could not be removed, so copper said just to take off the ball. Still had to pay the fine though.

[J_Tank]

As far as I'm aware in NSW it's an issue if it can be quickly removed, no tools, pin securing tongue... but probably only if they really want to get ya... Have had em on both my Falcons... 10 yrs playing tight head prop has given me a neck that'll withstand most bingles...

[hrdcor]

Strange about the neck injuries...
It would seem to me that even without the tongue and/or ball attached, the actual towing structure (frame that tongue attaches to) is still right behind the bumper. Therefore it would seem logical that any high speed impact is going to depress (read: annihilate) the rear bumper and transfer all force to the towing structre anyway. So removing the tongue/ball would really have didly squat effect on harm minimisation to passengers.

My two cents. Prove me wrong kids, prove me wrong.

p.s. Holden's new ve doesn't hold a candle to the heavy duty jobbie on the back of the ol xf....... how dare I have to clean that filthy red paint of my bar.....

[ebxr8240]

I have been fined for "NOT" having one!!!!
Well it was a warning....Good ole days....