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When is a towing warning flag required?

Is it when the rear most part of the trailer/load is one metre or more behind the axle?

What, if any, rules apply to bicycle carriers on cars? I have seen bicycle carrier on cars with four bicycles mounted on them.

The rearmost bicycle was 1.6 metres behind the car rear wheels. Without any bicycles on such a carrier it is almost impossible to see the rack as the mounting tubes are viewed end on, and could push out a van or SUV type vehicle rear window when attempting to park in normal nose to tail spaces.

Peter

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 14 December 2009

Listed below are the rules surrounding overhangs taken from the LTSA website.

You are correct regarding the need for warning flags when the load exceeds more than one metre however, the distance is from the rear of the vehicle not the axle.

For those who do consider other road users the bike racks capable of carrying four bikes are often turned 90 degrees to avoid the scenario you mention. This can be done very easily by loosening the bolts with an Allen Key where the bike rack is secured to the tow bar ball and moving the rack into the 'safe position' and retightening. Very easily done and it certainly takes away the risk of an unfortunate accident.

I often wonder about the strain on the tow bar itself with bike racks manufactured for more than two bikes. Yes they are only bikes but the load on the tow bar is not the same as a loaded trailer. Hopefully people check the security occasionally and have the appropriate tow bar fitted to their vehicles.

Rules regarding loads overhanging the vehicle or trailer are:

If the load (including equipment used to support or retain the load) extends more than 200 mm beyond the sides of the vehicle or trailer, or more than one metre beyond the front or back of the vehicle, then you must attach suitable warning device(s) to it.

During daylight you must attach:

• Flags (coloured white or fluorescent red, orange or yellow, at least 400 mm long by 300 mm wide)
or
• Standard hazard warning panels (coloured yellow/green with an orange stripe, at least 400 mm long by 300 mm wide).

During the hours of darkness, you must have lights on the load:

• At the rear and facing towards the rear, coloured red (if the load extends sideways or to the rear)