DVSA issuing illegal breakaway cable notices

I replaced the cable on my last van and found it to be too long. I also up a loop in it, held in place with a couple of thin cable-ties. They would easily give way if (when) the need arose.

Just checked my BMW X3 with electrically operated swan neck t / bar , there is definately no fixing hole to  connect the cable .

Greetings from Cantabria. Like you, my X3 (2013) has a simple BMW retractable tow ball with nothing but the 13 pin socket on it. There is absolutely nowhere under the car to hook on the breakaway cable, it's all plastic. So, absolutely no option but to hook
over the towball.

I do note that an emergency towing eye is available in the boot with the tools, which could be screwed into the aperture in the rear plastic bumper, and the cable hooked onto that. However it is 18" to the left of the towball
and IMHO would cause the caravan to swing violently to the left if used in the event of a breakaway.

Write your comments here...would be interested in any solution with BMW factory fitted, electric, tow ball kit, for fitting of an eye for the breakaway cable.

Also you'll need to check the electrics, BMW don't wire up for caravans, among other manufactures. See thread about this.

The last post about breakaway cable at Cherwell Valley could have been made by me. I had exactly the same problem and was issued with a Prohibition Notice giving me 10 days to correct (as I was on my way to Portsmouth for two weeks in Spain this was obviously
a problem!) Mr Jobsworth would give no leeway and indeed I had to show that the breakaway cable could be attached to the towbar by having an Inspector visit my home. After I had calmed down a little and whilst he was writing up the report I searched in my
toolbox, found two jubilee clips, managed to link them together and to the towbar and attached the pigtail. Mr Jobsworth found this entirely satisfactory and removed the Notice!!!

He also told me my insurance would have been invalid in the event of a claim.

I have just telephoned the Club and was told that they had been in touch with VOSA and VOSA agreed that looping round the towball was OK and no one should be stopped because of this - that clearly isn't happening!!!

This is very concerning. The majority of CC members are careful Caravanners and want to be doing what is considered technically correct and especially what is safe. The last thing that is needed amid all the other complexities that are involved is to find
you haven't attached the break away cable "correctly". It is now seemingly 2 weeks since this was referred to VOSA ....what we need to see asap is a definitive statement on what has been agreed / the outcome of these discussions. 

For many years as club representative, I attended Europe wide industry commitee meetings discussing breakaway cables and attachment points. The result was a fudged code of practice as agreemnt to satisfy everyone was not possible. Basically if you just loop
the cable round the ball it could jump off in a detachment. The attachment point on the tow bars mostly does not allow looping through and the dog clips supplied as standard are not strong enough unless looped also the cables are not long enough. Stronger
dog clips are available but not fitted due to cost.ItI is time caravan and tow bar makers got together. I always use bolt on fixed balls with a dedicated plate for looping through.

Have also now looked at both the Maypole and Alko carabiner clips. Have, as others have, elected to go for the Alko. It appears to be exactly same as the component it will replace apart from the carabiner, so assume will be the correct length and the fitting
at the other end is the same as that being removed. Being made by Alko hopefully no-one can claim an inferior component has been added.

Will now search t'internt for some vids on how to fit. Perhaps a couple of lump hammers as mentioned earlier might prove appropriate....not much by way of instruction but looks like a degree in Mechanical Engineering not needed.

For £8.50 is well worth it for piece of mind and I too, now having thought about it, can't see the logic of attaching THE safety device to the very feature that has already possibly failed !

As mentioned above by Richard, I fitted mine in a similar way, but used a dremel with cutting tool to initially remove the spring clip from the hand brake. Then with mole grips which on mine have an Allen key
attachment on the wheel end I used them like a vice after initially clamping down to close the new hook shut in the hand brake. Took around 20 mins. 

I have had a response from DVSA regarding my previous post and Prohibition Notice etc - it is rather long but appears that looping round is OK and the officer who stopped me was wrong to do so. 

"Responding to your mail of 19 July to DVSA Customer Service Complaints with the above title. 



Your and the Caravan Club's view on this matter is correct, that a breakaway cable can be looped around the towball provided it would actuate the trailer brakes in the event of separation of the trailer coupling. I reproduce below the wording of the actual
law, which is regulation 86A of the Road Vehicles (Construction and use) Regulations 1986 as amended by statutory instrument 1995 no 551. 



You will see that its paragraphs 3 and 4 relate to larger trailers with braking systems. Paragraph 4 specifically states that it is in the event of  the separation of the main coupling  that the measure is designed to protect against subsequent danger. It is
not required to protect against the failure or detachment  of the coupling components: 



“Use of secondary coupling on trailers

86A.—(1) No person shall use or cause or permit to be used on a road a motor vehicle drawing one trailer if the trailer— 

(a)is a trailer to which regulation 15 applies; and 

(b)is not fitted with a device which is designed to stop the trailer automatically in the event of the separation of the main coupling while the trailer is in motion, 

unless the requirements of paragraph (2) are met in relation to the motor vehicle and trailer. 

(2) The requirements of this paragraph, in relation to a motor vehicle drawing a trailer, are that a secondary coupling is attached to the motor vehicle and trailer in such a way that, in the event of the separation of the
main coupling while the trailer is in motion,— 

(a)the drawbar of the trailer would be prevented from touching the ground; and 

(b)there would be some residual steering of the trailer.

(3) No person shall use or cause or permit to be used on a road a motor vehicle drawing one trailer if— 

(a)the trailer is a trailer to which regulation 15 applies;

(b)the trailer is fitted with a device which is designed to stop the trailer automatically in the event of the separation of the main coupling while the trailer is in motion; 

(c)the operation of the device in those circumstances depends upon a secondary coupling linking the device to the motor vehicle; and

(d)the trailer is not also fitted with a device which is designed to stop the trailer automatically in those circumstances in the absence of such a secondary coupling, 

unless the requirements of paragraph (4) are met in relation to the motor vehicle and trailer. 

(4) The requirements of this paragraph, in relation to a motor vehicle drawing a trailer, are that the secondary coupling is attached to the motor vehicle and trailer in such a way that, in the event of the separation
of the main coupling while the trailer is in motion, the device of the kind referred to in paragraph (3)(b) and (c) fitted to the trailer would stop the trailer. 

(5) This regulation is without prejudice to any other provision in these Regulations.”. 

I will draw this to Harold Cooper's attention. 



Steve Whitehart | Heavy Vehicle Technical Officer. 

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency | Ellipse, Padley Road, Swansea, SA1 8AN 

Phone: 01792 454306, Fax 01792 454387  

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I followed this up as I was unclear about fixed/detachable towballs; the reply is as follows:-

 

"I believe that the circumstances that the regulations are intended to deal with are when the towing coupling comes off the towball, because of a miscoupling or due to wear in the locking device
rather than any other component detachment. Accordingly I would not say it makes any difference whether the towbar were fixed or detachable as to how the breakaway cable is attached. Unfortunately this opinion is not binding on myself or DVSA  as  interpretation
of the law is the prerogative of the courts.

I cannot see the logic of the DVSA or The Caravan Club. Having read the regulations, how can looping the cable over the ball be legal if in all probability the cable will come off the ball with the coupling.

I can't quite see the grounds for your assumption that the cable will 'in all probability' come off the ball. I wonder whether there are any facts in support of such a statement.

I think it highly improbable that the cable would come off the ball in the event of a detatchment

As many of these swan-neck type tow-balls are detachable one could logically assum it maybe a weak point? But as said; there is no evidence to support this!

As many of these swan-neck type tow-balls are detachable one could logically assum it maybe a weak point? But as said; there is no evidence to support this!

If a detachable was a weak point, how does it manage to pull a caravan?

In theory, any mechanical linkage is open to failure or do you disagree? To answer your question, a push bikes' chain always has a weakest link but it still does the job.

Fair comment Sir, I respect your point, it's a discussion not an argument.