What your trailer must have Your trailer must display: Note: Remember that a car, utility vehicle or light van is not permitted to tow more than one trailer or vehicle. If the trailer is equipped with brakes, it may be possible to safely tow a trailer heavier than three quarters of the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, but the seven metres from 30km/h brake performance requirement still applies. This combination can be expected to have double the stopping distance of the towing vehicle alone, and even a towing vehicle with good brakes is likely to fail the legal brake performance requirement of seven metres from 30km/h. To illustrate the increase in stopping distance when towing an unbraked trailer, consider a trailer with a laden weight equal to the weight of the towing vehicle. A trailer heavier than this may prevent the vehicle combination from meeting the seven metre from 30km/h brake performance requirement. The Transport Agency recommends, as a guide, that the laden weight of an unbraked trailer should not exceed three quarters of the unladen weight of the towing vehicle and then only if the towing vehicle's brakes and tyres are in excellent condition. In effect, this means that the maximum allowable weight of an unbraked trailer is limited by the weight and braking ability of the vehicle being used to tow it. In addition to the requirements above, the law requires that every light vehicle and trailer combination must be capable of stopping within a distance of seven metres from a speed of 30km/h. Although the law does not require these tow ratings to be followed, the NZ Transport Agency recommends that they be taken into account. Most vehicles have tow ratings given to them by the manufacturer specifying the gross trailer weight braked, unbraked, or both, that the vehicle can safely tow.

Loads overhanging the vehicle or trailer.

Loading your vehicle and trailer safely.

This guide contains detailed advice on loading and towing practices to keep you within the law and protect you, your goods and others on the road.

Incorrect loading is a factor in around 27 light vehicle crashes a year including one death and five serious injuries. On average, seven people a year are killed and 45 seriously injured in crashes involving a light vehicle towing a trailer (the word trailer includes caravans, as well as boat, horse and garden trailers). Guide to safe loading and towing for light vehicles

Breakaway license code