In order to use a car for the transportation of various goods, trailers are often used. The trailer will be connected to the car using a tow bar (towing hitch). Since June 1, 2019, the owners of some car models have encountered difficulties installing such equipment.
We will tell you whether it is necessary to register a towbar for a passenger car with the traffic police in 2019-2020, and how to do it.
When the towbar requires registration
Whether a towbar registration is required with the traffic police in 2019 -2020 depends on the design of a light car. You do not need to register the towbar in the following cases:
- it was delivered at the factory, i.e. changes to the vehicle design were made by the manufacturer. In this case, when buying a car, the owner will receive all the necessary documents for the towbar. Additional registration is not required;
- it is installed as an option in the showroom. In this case, all the necessary documents will also be transferred to the new owner of the car.
Not every vehicle can be equipped with a towbar as an accessory. For this, two conditions must be met. They are as follows:
- the factory documentation provides for the installation of a towbar. This information is usually indicated in the instruction manual that comes with every new machine.
- the towbar itself is designed to be installed on a specific car model, which is confirmed by the manufacturer's documents. And also passed the conformity assessment.
If the above two conditions are met, then the answer to the question whether it is necessary to register a towbar for passenger cars with the traffic police is negative. The owner will have the necessary documents without going through additional procedures. This:
- vehicle operating manual;
- documents for the towbar, which is a case of confirmation that the device is intended for a specific vehicle model;
- certificate of conformity for the towbar.
Should the towbar be registered or not, if this device is not provided in the vehicle by the manufacturer? In such a situation, the owner of the car will have to register this device on his own, since the hitch is considered a change in the factory design.
From 1.06.2019, the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 6.04.2019 No. 413 entered into force in Russia. Now any change in the design of the vehicle must be coordinated and then registered. Therefore, if a car with a towbar was not originally provided by the manufacturer, then in order to legally use such a vehicle, you will need to make an effort.
How to register?
Registration of a towbar with the traffic police in 2019 (the price under the new rules for registration is 800 rubles) consists of several stages:
- contacting a specialized laboratory. It must be without fail accredited to investigate changes in the design of machines;
- research by laboratory staff for the safety of changes in the design of the machine (in this case, the installation of a tow bar);
- obtaining a laboratory conclusion (as a rule, when installing a towbar, it must be positive);
- providing a positive conclusion of the laboratory on the installation of a towbar in the traffic police;
- issuance of the traffic police permission to make changes (within three days after the citizen's appeal);
- installation of a towbar on a car;
- re-examination by the laboratory. Issuance of a test report.
- passing MOT;
- issuance of a traffic police certificate of compliance of a vehicle with safety requirements (It is for this service that a state duty of 800 rubles is provided);
- then the hitch will be brought into the traffic police when registering the car in the PTS and the registration certificate.
Additional installation of a towbar and its registration with the traffic police is not an easy procedure. Although when installing a towbar on a car, there will be no refusal from the laboratory, and all actions are formal. Nevertheless, material investments are required - it is necessary to pay for the examination in the laboratory and the state registration fee. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately think before purchasing a new car: will a trailer be used to transport goods or not? If the answer is in the affirmative, then it is necessary to consider for the acquisition of a model of cars either immediately with a towbar, or in the design of which such a device is provided as additional equipment.
What to do if the towbar is installed, but there are no documents for it?
You can try to get the documents from the manufacturer of the machine. But this is only possible if the manufacturer has provided a towbar in the vehicle design. If it is impossible to obtain documents (the most common option is that the manufacturer did not initially provide for it in the design of the machine), then there are two options:
- register the hitch as a change in the design of the machine according to the new rules;
- dismantle the towbar (accordingly, either do not use such a vehicle to transport goods on a trailer, or change the car to another model with a towbar).
1. I decided to install a spare wheel bracket on the VAZ-2131. The product description indicates that it meets the requirements of GOST R50577–93 and does not require certification. Will there be any problems with passing the technical inspection?
The spare wheel carrier is indeed not subject to mandatory certification as a vehicle component and is technically permissible to install it. However, a number of conditions must be met during installation. According to GOST R 50577–93 “State registration signs of vehicles. Types and basic sizes. Technical Requirements "the license plate must be installed along the symmetry axis of the vehicle or to the left of it in the direction of travel. The registration plate must be located perpendicular to the reference plane of the vehicle with a deviation of no more than five degrees. The height of the lower edge of the rear registration plate, measured from the reference plane of the vehicle, must be at least 300 mm, the height of the upper edge of the plate must not be more than 1200 mm. In addition, the installed bracket with a spare wheel must not overlap the rear lighting equipment, the visibility requirements of which are set out in UNECE Regulation No. 48. The rear license plate lighting device is subject to mandatory certification. Installing a spare wheel bracket on a vehicle that is not provided by the vehicle manufacturer is a design change, may affect the risk of injury to the outer protrusions (UNECE Regulation No. 26) and therefore must be recorded in due course.
2. On a 2011 Daewoo Nexia (discontinued model) I want to change the high and low beam lamps to LED. How to do it legally?Whenever you make design changes to lighting fixtures, including replacing a light module (as in your case), a safety assessment is required. Installation of non-standard light modules is not allowed if the illuminating surface of the diffuser in the zone of passage of the light beam has optical elements participating in the formation of the beam (in other words, if the glass is corrugated). The procedure for conducting a safety assessment is as follows.
- Obtain from the testing laboratory the conclusion of a preliminary technical examination on the possibility and procedure for making changes.
- In the technical supervision of the traffic police, fill out an application for making changes to the design.
- After making a decision on your application, carry out the appropriate work.
- After making the changes, apply to a testing laboratory accredited to confirm the conformity of lighting and light signaling devices and undergo a vehicle check for compliance with UNECE Regulation No. 48 "Uniform provisions concerning the certification of vehicles for the installation of lighting and light signaling devices".
- If the check is positive, a design safety assessment protocol will be issued with the changes introduced.
- Based on the protocol, the traffic police department of technical supervision will issue a certificate of conformity with the vehicle design. With the certificate, you should contact the registration department of the traffic police and make notes in the documents.
3. Do I need to issue a towbar of a car if it is installed by an authorized dealer and has a certificate?
The service performing the installation work (it can also be an official dealer) must provide a certificate of conformity for the towing hitch (Hitch). Otherwise, it is impossible to confirm the safety of the component installed on the vehicle, as well as the compliance of the vehicle itself with the requirements of TR CU 018/2011. The TSU certificate confirms its safety as a component. However, you need to make sure that this device is installed correctly and the vehicle with the installed tow bar complies with the safety requirements for the vehicle as a whole. That is why the towing hitch is subject to mandatory certification, and its installation on a car is considered a re-equipment that requires changes in the design.
4. I would like to install on UAZ-3153 instead of the standard engine UMZ-4218 a tractor diesel D-154 or D-155T (manufactured by VMTZ) with a GAZ-63 gearbox. I have seen such converted cars and I know that they have proven themselves well in operation. How can you legitimize this installation?Installation of such an engine instead of a standard one is impossible. Firstly, this tractor diesel does not meet the environmental requirements for cars, and lowering the environmental class when converting the machine is unacceptable. In addition, the mass of such a motor (400 kg ± 20 kg, depending on the attachment) is more than twice the mass of the standard one, which means that the load on the front axle will inadmissibly increase. Therefore, such a change will require full testing of the vehicle itself.
5. Recently installed gas equipment. But I plan to replace some of the components with newer ones. Is this a design change? Do I need to register with the traffic police?
Interference in the design and completeness of the installed gas equipment (LPG) during operation is not allowed (according to Appendix No. 8 to TR CU 018/2011). If it is necessary to replace a reducer or a cylinder, authorized organizations issue a certificate of conformity of LPG to safety requirements, which the owner of the machine presents at periodic checks of LPG.
6. I want to install shelves in the PAZ bus. What requirements must be met?
Installation of shelves in a PAZ bus is permissible. After installation, the interior of the bus must comply with the requirements of UNECE Regulation No. 21-01 “Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to their interior equipment”.
Do you have any questions for the specialists of FSUE "NAMI"? Ask! E-mail address: [email protected] site
Photo:"Behind the wheel" anddepositphotos.com
Self-installation of towbars on cars in the Russian Federation is quite common. Many car owners install this non-basic part for towing light trailers and trailers. However, from the point of view of the law, these constructive changes in the vehicle are interpreted ambiguously. Therefore, in many cases, drivers run the risk of getting a fine for a towbar if its installation is not coordinated with the traffic police.
As practice shows, not all motorists know what a towbar is on a car. Often, some of them buy a used car, and then are genuinely surprised if the inspector imposes a fine for the presence of this additional part.
A towbar is a structural part used to attach trailed elements to the body. The towbar consists of a transverse beam attached to the car body from the rear, and a ball joint on this beam, designed to attach a trailer or trailer to the car.
It is impossible to attach additional towed equipment to the car body without a tow bar. Therefore, many drivers traveling long distances outside the city mount towbars to their cars on their own.
Types of towbars
Depending on the type of attachment to the body and design features, towbars are divided into two types:
- Removable- mounted on imported off-road vehicles. The advantage of such structures is that they can be screwed on or unscrewed as needed. Removable towbars do not spoil the appearance of the car, and when traveling around the city, they can be removed as unnecessary.
- Fixed- a more acceptable option in terms of reliability and functionality. These towbars are welded to the body. Dismantling them without violating the aesthetics of the body is impossible.
- Flanged- is a small platform for attaching to the bottom of the car. Such a towbar can be easily removed and installed as needed.
Do I need to register a towbar for a passenger car at the traffic police
90 percent of modern car models are equipped with a towbar. To install this part on these car models, there is no need to register them with the traffic police.
By law, you do not need to register a towbar if:
- It is indicated in the instruction manual.
- It was installed according to the instructions, without changing the design of the car and has a certificate of conformity and a passport.
In other words, there is no need to register the towbar if it is installed by an authorized dealer or service station specialists.
But during installation, the wizard must provide the motorist with a package of documents that is presented to the traffic police inspectors:
- Towbar passport with a mark about its installation.
- Copy of the certificate.
- Checks or invoices issued at the time of purchase.
A towbar that does not have a certificate and a passport, installed independently, must be registered. You must first obtain a certificate of conformity for it at an authorized auto center. The service station will carry out diagnostics and check the technical condition of the car with a tow bar. If the device is found to be safe, specialists will issue a certificate.
Registration with the traffic police consists of the following stages:
- Passing a special examination before and after installation.
- Issuance of a safety certificate.
- Obtaining a Certificate and an examination protocol.
If the installation of a towbar on a car is not provided for by the operating manual, after receiving a certificate at the service station, you will need to contact the traffic police. The presence of a towbar, after inspecting the car and checking the documents, will be entered as an item in the TCP and the technical standard. From this moment on, the towbar will be considered registered, and the traffic police will have no claims against the owner of the car on which it is installed.
Grounds for punishment for a towbar
Not all drivers have an idea if there is a penalty for a towbar. Many people install this part on the vehicle without thinking at all about the rules for its installation. At the same time, having received a fine, many are sincerely surprised, not even suspecting that the towbar can be recognized as an unauthorized modification of the car's design.
Unregistered and not certified towbar is considered unsafe. The law also prohibits the installation of parts not provided for by the design of the car, which protrude beyond the rear dimensions of the body. The reason for the ban is the possible deterioration of the consequences of a collision of two vehicles .
A protruding towbar will cause more damage to another vehicle in the event of a collision.
Some drivers who install a towbar mistakenly believe that it can serve as additional protection against another vehicle entering their vehicle from behind. But this opinion is wrong. When hitting the towbar from behind, the body will receive even more damage than in its absence. That is why inspectors are required to remove this part in those cases when it is not used for its intended purpose.
The amount of the penalty for the towbar
The rules for imposing a fine for unauthorized installation of a towbar are contained in article 12.5 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. The document lists all cases when the car cannot be used for movement. These include violation of the vehicle design, which negatively affected traffic safety. A towbar that does not have a certificate, fixed with movable joints, belongs to similar structures.
In 2018, the following types of punishments were established:
- the fine for unauthorized installation of the towbar is 500 rubles;
- a fine for a towbar without a trailer is also imposed in the amount of 500 rubles.
Important. If the inspector qualifies the installation of the towbar as a change in the design of the vehicle without the consent of the traffic police, the fine will increase to 5,000 rubles.
How to avoid a fine
In the list of penalties for installing a towbar or using it without a trailer, there is one rather mild and almost symbolic one - a warning. The driver should try to convince the inspector who stopped him that the violation will be eliminated as soon as possible. It is the defiant behavior of the car owner that often leads to the traffic police officer issuing a fine. Of course, those motorists who have not come to the attention of inspectors in the last six months are more likely to avoid punishment.
The ideal solution to the problem is a removable hitch. If this part is used only with a trailer or trailer, and is removed from the body as unnecessary, there will be no complaints from the traffic police.
There will be no punishment for the towbar even if it was installed during the production of the car or in an authorized service center. True, in this case, the car owner will need to prove that the part is installed at the factory. But in any case, such a towbar will not be recognized as a change in the design of the vehicle, therefore, the inspector will not be able to issue a fine of 5 thousand rubles.
Features of selling a car with a tow bar
Before installing a towbar on his own car, its owner needs to foresee the situation when the car will need to be sold. If the inspector may not notice "extra parts" during the operation of the car, then during the re-registration during the sale it will not be possible to hide the hitch from the expert.
Therefore, if the hitch is not provided by the vehicle manufacturer, you must go through the procedure for registering it with the traffic police. Of course, it will be possible to do this if the towbar is certified and installed by professional craftsmen.
Important. You will not be able to register a homemade handicraft product. Therefore, such a towbar will need to be dismantled before selling the car. Otherwise, re-registration of the vehicle to another owner will be impossible.
Before installing the towbar on his own car, the owner should look in the Owner's Manual and make sure that this part is provided by the manufacturer. If the design of the car does not allow the installation of a towbar, you can install an exclusively removable model and use it complete with a trailer or trailer. For driving with an uncertified or incorrectly installed towbar, you can "earn" a fine of 500 or 5000 rubles.
Any car is a complex system consisting of mutually influencing units and parts. The manufacturer, developing the design of the machine, initially tries to take into account all the nuances that the use of each individual device entails.
As a rule, unauthorized changes to the design of a car only lead to the fact that it becomes more dangerous in operation - both for the driver and for other road users. That is why the installation of additional units requires special procedures, coordination with the traffic police, and often - and auto-technical expertise.
Here, one should be guided by the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union TR CU 018/2011, which determines that such dismantling of units or installation of units not provided for by the design of the vehicle will be considered a modification of the design, which will affect the safety of road traffic.
Important: Among the nodes, the improper installation and operation of which is dangerous, also includes the towbar (or, as it is officially called in the documents, the towing hitch for a passenger car).
This unit is designed to attach trailers to the car - and therefore, in the event of its destruction or sudden slippage, an uncontrollably moving trailer may appear on the track, into which other cars may crash, or it may collide with them.
Regarding towbars, however, the registration situation is twofold:
- Some of them require mandatory registration and approval from the traffic police.
- But for many, the explicit order of installing this node is enough.
What determines the need for registration?
When is it necessary to do this?
It is necessary to register the towbar in the following cases:
- If its installation was not initially provided for by the design of the car. In this situation, the owner of the machine, before installing a new device, may need to conduct an examination in a certified laboratory, which will confirm the safety of the changes made.
- If the design of the car allows the installation of a towbar, but there are no necessary documents for this unit. In particular, this situation can arise when installing handicraft towbars.
In what cases is it not necessary to make changes?
Car owners had questions about installing a towbar so often that, as a result, a number of regional traffic police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation gave official explanations in 2016. Their essence boils down to the following. If the vehicle manufacturer allows the installation of the towbar, then additional registration of changes in the design is not required.
However, this requires the fulfillment of several conditions:
Therefore, in order to install a towbar on a car, the owner will need:
- Passport for towing hitch with marks of the seller and installer.
- Certified copy of the towbar certificate.
- Payment receipt and sales receipt or device invoice.
These documents should be kept in the car and presented to the traffic police inspector if, during the check, questions arise regarding the changes made to the design of the car.
Moreover, if the car is new, then the towbar can be installed in only two ways:
- At the service center of an authorized dealer.
- In a service station that has a corresponding certificate of conformity for the services provided.
If this is not done, then the traffic police will have no claims to the TSU - however, the car warranty will be terminated.
Important: The design of the towbar can provide for both its constant use and the installation of a fastening unit immediately before using the trailer.
The latter option is mainly used on modern vehicles manufactured in countries where the use of a trailer hitch without a trailer is prohibited. Of course, no approvals are needed for such a towbar: this is a standard vehicle unit that can be removed or installed.
How do I know if a car is provided?
In order to determine whether it is possible to install the towing hitch on a specific vehicle, the following steps should be taken:
How to register a TSU on a car: rules
In the event that a towbar is installed on a passenger car, it can be legalized as follows.
What is required for registration?
It will be required to register a towbar with the traffic police only if there is no evidence that a particular TSU model has been approved. In this case, you need to be guided by the traffic rules and the Federal Law "On Road Safety" No. 196-FZ of 1995.
Attention: If there is no data on the approval of the towbar design by the car manufacturer, you will first need to submit an application to the traffic police for a preliminary examination.
In this case, auto experts must assess how safe the resulting design will be and whether it can ultimately be released on public roads.
In this case, the following is submitted to the traffic police:
- Registration application.
- A copy of the TCP.
- Technical documents for towing hitch.
- STS for a car.
Certificate of conformity for the tow hitch
In some cases, when automakers did not take the trouble to describe the conditions for using the towbar, but the installation of the towbar itself is legal, a certificate is required that confirms the compliance of the coupling assembly with the standards.
The certificate is issued:
As a result, if a towbar is installed on the car, then the certificate for it:
- Can be restored again.
- Can be obtained if it has not been previously issued.
In the first case, in order to get a duplicate, you need to contact:
- To the official representative office of the company with a request or at least with a copy of the sales contract. Basically, the sales offices serve customers who have purchased new cars of the corresponding brand and have encountered difficulties. However, they often provide assistance to all car owners who own a car of the corresponding brand.
- To the official website. Often this kind of documents are laid out by carmakers in the public domain.
- On a specialized Internet resource. Quite often, users collect a collection of regulatory documents. Even if such data is not officially accepted, the car owner will know what to start from.
Attention: In the same case, if the towbar was not initially certified, the owner of the car will have to either refuse to install it or go through the certification procedure.
To do this, you need to contact an auto laboratory that has permission to conduct the relevant examinations and is accredited with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Only after the corresponding document is received from there, we can talk about installing a non-standard towbar.
How much does the procedure cost?
If the design of the car provides for the possibility of mounting a towbar, and there are legally issued documents on the unit itself, no additional fee is required. It is enough to put the towing hitch and drive, having the relevant documents with you.
If it is necessary to legalize the changes made to the design of the car, then payment will be required:
- carrying out an auto-technical examination. It will cost at least 3 thousand rubles;
- payment for technical inspection - at least 400 rubles;
- obtaining a certificate of conformity - at least 800 rubles;
- changes in the TCP according to Art. 333.33 Tax Code of the Russian Federation - 350 rubles;
- new STS - 500 rubles.
The prices are indicative.
What if the hitch is already installed without documents?
If the car owner has already installed the towbar and he only needs to legalize the alteration, the prices and procedure will be the same as when installing an unlicensed towbar. However, it must be remembered that in certain cases the installation will be an administratively punishable act and you will have to pay a fine.
When is it prohibited?
The ban on the installation of a towbar exists in two cases.:
- When the car manufacturer did not provide for the possibility of using it as a tractor, and therefore the operation of trailers is unsafe for road users.
- When the design and attachment of the towbar do not provide safety.
In this case, the perpetrator will be fined from 500 to 5000 rubles in accordance with Art. 12.5 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation.
Registration of a towbar is a procedure that is not always required. The vast majority of cars can be used as trailers, but where the towing device does not meet the requirements, problems can arise.
Video
Watch a video about the need to register a towbar:
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Towbar - a towing hitch designed for transporting trailers or trailers using a car. The hitch is installed on many vehicles by the manufacturer. However, some motorists assemble these elements on their own. Before performing the installation, you need to know what the traffic police requirements are for the towbar in 2019.
The towbar for a car has several types:
- Welded.
Attaches firmly to the vehicle. The most dangerous for road users, its use on cars is prohibited.
- Folding.
This device has hinges in its design, thanks to which the device can be easily folded and stowed under the car bumper. Some companies manufacture electrically powered folding tow barriers that are controlled directly from the passenger compartment.
- Removable.
The hitch is installed by snapping in a special lock. Removable tow bar is the safest towing device for operation. The part is easy to install and also easy to remove, which is why this type of towbar is popular with motorists.
When choosing a hitch, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the part. Otherwise, the vehicle may not be allowed to operate.
Can I install on a car
The law does not prohibit the installation of a towbar on a car, however, this is a change in the design of the vehicle that needs to be legalized. Otherwise, the driver is punished by the traffic police.
Modified luggage carriers and towbars will be coordinated with the traffic police. This is done so that the changes made to the design of the car do not threaten the safety of the driver and other road users. Carrying out the installation of the towing hitch yourself, you should take into account the requirements of the traffic rules regarding the installation of additional equipment on the vehicle.
Legal installation rules
The provisions for the installation of the towbar and its subsequent registration with the traffic police are governed by the technical regulation "On the safety of wheeled vehicles" TR CU 018/2011. This traffic rule was introduced on January 1, 2015.
If the manufacturer has provided places for attaching the towbar, and also included this equipment in the list of additional accessories for the machine, then its installation is not a change in the design of the vehicle and does not require registration. However, when checking, the inspector will need to present a passport for the towbar, and its certificate of conformity.
If the car is being refitted on its own, then for this, you must obtain the appropriate permission from the traffic police. Otherwise, the car will not be allowed to operate, since its use without a trailer will reduce the safety of other road users. Therefore, after making changes, they are registered.
After re-equipment, you will need to carry the TSU passport with you, a mark about its installation, a copy of the certificate of conformity, as well as an act of work done.
In what cases installation is prohibited
The legality of the operation of a passenger car equipped with a tow bar is regulated by the employees of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. If additional equipment is installed on the car not according to the rules, or poses a potential threat to the life and health of road users, then a ban on driving on such a car is imposed. In accordance with traffic rules, a machine with trailed equipment cannot be used if:
- The installation was not done according to the rules; serious interference with the design of the car was allowed. When installing traction devices not provided by the vehicle manufacturer, the part is connected to the car body using welding or self-tapping screws, the holes for which are made independently. However, this is prohibited by traffic regulations.
- The hitch protrudes strongly beyond the bumper. This poses a threat to vehicles driving behind; in a collision, vehicles going behind will receive much more damage.
- The machine is not suitable for towing trailers or trailers. Each car has a maximum carrying capacity, on some models, manufacturers do not provide for the use of trailers or trailers. Installing a towbar, and using it for its intended purpose, can reduce the life of the car, and lead to emergency situations.
- Lack of required documents. Provided that the installation and type of trailed equipment complies with the rules, you need to acquire the relevant documents and register the changes in the design. Otherwise, such tuning will be considered illegal.
Required documents
After registering the converted car, the motorist receives a number of documents that he needs to have with him in order to confirm the legality of the installation of the TSU:
- Certificate of conformity for the towbar.
The amendments are approved by the State Traffic Inspectorate. After successful registration with the traffic police, the driver receives a certificate of registration of the changed vehicle.
- Certificate of completion.
- Passport for traction additional equipment, with a note from the car service in which the installation took place.
Also in the glove compartment there must be a driver's license, documents for the car and PTS, notes on the passed technical inspections are entered into it.
If the driver refuses to register changes in the design of the car, then an administrative fine is imposed on him.
Penalties
When installing the towing vehicle on your own, you need to know what kind of punishment awaits the driver for using the traction device without registration. Violation is punishable by a warning or a fine.
Installation of an additional traction device on the machine allows the vehicle to be used as a tractor for trailers and trailers. However, the installation must be carried out in accordance with all the rules. Only in this case it will be possible to avoid constant fines and harm to the life and health of other road users.
