A tow hitch or tow bar (hereinafter), one of the most common additional equipment on a machine. It is he who is used to transport all kinds of trailers, transport bicycles ... However, while we do not use it, to put it in the language of a commoner, it just sticks out from behind. And here, lately, our valiant inspection that monitors security traffic, questions began to appear for the owners of cars that are equipped with towbars. On the pages of the Internet, it is not the first time that you can find reviews that the inspector issued a fine for the towbar. But how are things really with the fact of the installed towbar, not formalized as optional equipment. Can they really get fined for this? Is it legal? This is what we want to tell the reader.

Logically, what is a towbar ...

In fact, in order to come to the pattern of a fine, it is necessary to bring actions or inactions to some condition or fact, and also to prove its violation. Well, if you know that under Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, it is quite possible to issue a fine. And this article of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation implies a fine for something that is not working or re-equipment on the machine, it turns out that the tow bar itself must be brought under additional equipment - that is, under a change in the design of the vehicle. Here, the first step is to turn to the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union. After all, it is in it that one can find a definition of what a design change is.

"changes to the design of the vehicle" - the exclusion of those provided for or the installation of not provided by the design specific vehicle components and items of equipment made after the release of the vehicle into circulation and affecting road safety;

In fact, if we develop this idea, then I would like to know whether the towbar will affect the same road safety or not. Here it is already necessary to turn to the definition of road safety. To do this, we will quote the Federal Law of December 10, 1995 N 196-FZ "On Road Safety"

Article 2. Basic terms
road safety - the state of this process, reflecting the degree of protection of its participants from road accidents and their consequences.

Now we draw a conclusion. If the towbar can affect the provocation of an accident or its consequences, then in essence this is a design change. It is logical to conclude that the hitch can affect the role of probability in an accident is possible, but it would be absurd. But the conclusions about the consequences of the influence of the towbar in an accident are unambiguous. Hitch protrudes beyond rear bumper, which means that it may well affect the consequences of an accident. Since in the first place the blow will fall on the towbar, and only then on the bumper. As a result, the towbar can be considered a change in the design of the car, which means Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, or rather a fine according to it, is quite likely for motorists with a towbar.

However, there are exceptions here, which will be in the hands of the motorist.

Is it possible to avoid a towbar fine?

First, it is worth having a dialogue about the fact that Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides an alternative to a warning. That is, first of all, it is necessary to say that everything will be fixed in the near future and ask to stop at the warning. It will be especially good to use this tactic if you do not have relapses, that is, traffic violations over the past six months or a year.
Secondly, you can use a removable towbar. In this case, it will be difficult to logically argue that such design changes affect the likelihood of an accident and its outcome. After all, in fact, you have no protruding parts. What nullifies the influence of such a towbar in the final results of an accident. It goes without saying that a sane inspector should accept this point of view.
Another case would be the option when the towbar is installed from the factory or fasteners are provided for it. We do not know if there are such machines, that is, which come from the factory with a towbar (hitch) right away and how to confirm that the towbar was installed at the factory. But if there are any, then in fact the towbar cannot be considered a change in the design of the vehicle. Since neither you nor anyone else interfered in the design. Everything was as it is.
Thirdly, which may be the most popular argument, you can use the loophole in Chapter V of the Technical Regulations ..., section 4, paragraph 77

77. Vehicles are not subject to inspection in the following cases:
1) when installed on vehicle components:
designed for this vehicle and passed the conformity assessment as part of this vehicle, which is confirmed by the documentation of the component manufacturer;
provided by the vehicle manufacturer in the operational documentation;

That is, if we say the towbar is certified in accordance with the requirements of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union for the car on which it is installed, then it has thereby passed the assessment, which means you can ride with it. Well, you can not repeat about those provided by the manufacturer, since this is practically akin to what is provided for by the design. It goes without saying, as we have already discussed.

In general, if you have a towbar, then you need to have a certificate for it for compliance with the Technical Regulations, and also that the models in which it was received were mentioned. It is such a certificate that will become a kind of guarantee that they will not take a fine for a towbar. In some confirmation of such information, we will attach a letter from the traffic police.

Well, one thing can be said about home-made towbars, they remain "outlaws" here.

Penalty for towbar (hitch)

In fact, we have already said that a fine for a towbar is possible. Here it only remains to cite Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation itself, or rather its first part. That will be the penalty for it.

Driving a vehicle in the presence of malfunctions or conditions under which, in accordance with the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety, the operation of the vehicle is prohibited ... - entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of 500 rubles

In fact, in the "Basic Provisions ..." there is a "List of malfunctions and conditions", in which there is also clause 7.18.

Changes have been made to the design of the vehicle without the permission of the State Inspectorate for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Russian Federation or other bodies determined by the Government of the Russian Federation

That is, the very changes that we talked about above were made. As a result, since the towbar is a change, and for violations of the "List ...", or rather the "Basic Provisions ..." liability is provided, then it can just come in accordance with Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, cited by us above. As a result, a towbar may well be given a warning or a minimum fine.

Is it possible to pay a fine for a towbar at a discount

We don’t know if it’s good or not, it’s like someone, but you can pay a fine for a towbar at a 50 percent discount. This is stated in Article 32.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. The main thing here is to pay the fine no later than 20 days and no earlier than the decision is made and included in the traffic police database.

The current state of affairs on the road

Despite the fact that we nevertheless came to the conclusion that a fine for a towbar is not only possible, but also quite legal, everything is not so bad. Indeed, in practice, motorists do not often write out such a fine. Let's say more, no one pays much attention to the presence of a towbar, and does not think about what the motorist violates. Therefore, the actual objectivity is not so gloomy, and until some resonant case happens in our country or the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bfix does not arise, you should not be particularly afraid of a fine for a towbar. The likelihood of such an administrative punishment is not high.

Question-answer on the topic "Penalty for the tow bar"

Question: Can I be fined for a hitch?
Answer: Yes, this is a warning or a minimum fine.

Video about the penalty for the hitch

Judicial practice regarding the fine for a towbar

In fact, this is not all empty talk, as there are real fines and even judicial acts (decisions). We look.

Among the frequently encountered devices that complement any car, the most popular is the towbar, in connection with which there was such a procedure as a fine for a towbar on a passenger car. This device is used for one purpose - so that trailers or trailers can be attached to the car. But today such a topic as a fine for a towbar is of particular relevance.

The towbar is a specialized towing device for cars, which is used specifically for towing trailers and trailers.

This element has two components:

1. Crossbar. It is placed in certain holes, unique in their location for each individual car. It can be a car frame or holes in a car body.
2. Ball node. This element is attached to the beam itself.

A towbar is most often needed by those who travel a lot by car, and not within the city, and over long distances. Also, this device will be needed for those who carry small loads.

So for what reason was such a topic raised today as a towbar fine?

Important! If desired, even a residential trailer can be attached to the towbar, if there is a need for country trips with the whole family.

Some drivers put a towbar as an additional protective device. For example, if there is an accident in which another car enters the car, then it is the towbar that will be able to take on most of the impact and its strength.

Nevertheless, this is a very big mistake and delusion, because with such a blow, the body will be damaged much more if there is no towbar. For this reason, the device must be removed when not in use.

Types of towbars

There are three types that differ from each other in design:

1. Removable - put when it is needed.
2. Welded - the most common. It is installed directly at the factory, so it is not removed. The main disadvantage is the violation of aesthetics.
3. Flanged.

How to avoid a fine?

There are several options according to which a fine for a towbar on a car will be invalid:

• Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses also provides for an alternative type of punishment, but as a warning. That is, simply inform the employee that the situation will be corrected in the very near future.
• You can also initially take a removable towbar. When using it, it will be difficult to prove that a removable towbar somehow affects the change in the design of the car.
• You can also avoid a fine if the towbar was supplied by the factory.
• There is another loophole, which is headed under the number V of the technical regulations. This is paragraph 77 in section 4. According to it, a vehicle cannot be subject to inspection if it had such components installed that are intended for a car. But they must pass the conformity assessment in conjunction with the car.
• It is also important to always have a towbar conformity certificate with you, because according to this document it will be possible to resolve any problems that a person may have when communicating with a traffic police representative.

03.08.2018

Registration of the towbar (TSU) in the traffic police. Need or not?

Recently, we are often asked the question: "Do I need to register the towbar in the traffic police?".

Specifically, to clarify this issue, we turned to the UGIBDD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Chuvash Republic. The official answer was not long in coming. So, only changes made to the design of the vehicle need to be registered in the traffic police, and the installation of a tow bar on 99% of car models is allowed by the manufacturers of these cars (see the car's operating manual) and this is not a change in the design of the vehicle. We received similar responses from other departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, two responses were sent to us by our clients.

Therefore, the towbar is not subject to registration in the traffic police if:

1. The installation of the towbar on the car is provided by the car manufacturer (see the Car Operation Manual)
2. The hitch has a certificate of conformity and a passport
3. The towbar is installed according to the instructions indicated in the passport, i.e. without making changes to the design of the car

When buying and installing a towbar, you must have:

1. Passport for the towbar with a mark on the sale and installation
2. A copy of the certificate for the towbar, certified by the selling organization
3. Receipt of payment and sales receipt (waybill)

If the car is under warranty official dealer, then the tow bar can be installed not only at an authorized dealer. It can be installed in any other organization that has a certificate of conformity for the services provided for the installation of a towbar technical regulations and GOST, while the car will remain under warranty from an authorized dealer.

In order to use a car trailers are often used to transport various goods. The trailer will be connected to the car using a tow bar ( towing device). Since June 1, 2019, owners of some car models have encountered difficulties in 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 a hitch requires registration

Do I need to register a towbar with the traffic police in 2019-2020, depends on the design of a light car. You do not have to register a towbar in the following cases:

• it was installed at the factory, i.e. changes in the design of the car made by the manufacturer. In this case, when buying a car, the owner will receive everything Required documents on the hitch. Additional registration is not required;
• it is installed as an additional equipment in the showroom. In this case, all the necessary documents will also be transferred to the new owner of the car.

Not every car can be fitted with a tow bar as an option. For this, two conditions must be met. They are the following:

• the factory documentation provides for the installation of a towbar. This information, as a rule, is indicated in the instruction manual that comes with each new machine.
• the towbar itself is designed for installation 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 of whether it is necessary to register a towbar for cars with the traffic police is negative. The owner will have the necessary documents without going through additional procedures. This:

• operating manual for the vehicle;
• documents for the towbar, which will confirm that the device is designed for a specific vehicle model;
• certificate of conformity for the towbar.

Is it necessary to register or not a towbar if this device is not provided in the design of the car by the manufacturer? In such a situation, the owner of the car will have to register this device on their own, since the towbar will be considered a change in the factory design.

On 06/01/2019, Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 04/06/2019 No. 413 came into force in Russia. Now any change in the design of the vehicle must be agreed and then registered. Therefore, if a car with a towbar is not originally provided by the manufacturer, then in order to legally use such a vehicle, efforts will be required.

How to register?

Registration of a towbar in the traffic police in 2019 (the price for registration under the new rules is 800 rubles) consists of several stages:

• referral to a specialized laboratory. It must be accredited without fail to study changes in the design of machines;
• conducting a study by laboratory staff on the safety of changes made to the design of the machine (in this case, installing a towbar);
• 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 the towbar in the traffic police;
• issuance of traffic police permission to make changes (within three days after the citizen's application);
• installation of a towbar on a car;
• re-verification by the laboratory. Issuance of test report.
• passing MOT;
• issuance of a traffic police certificate of compliance of the vehicle with safety requirements (It is for this service that a state fee of 800 rubles is provided);
• then a hitch will be brought to the traffic police when registering a car in the TCP and a certificate of registration.

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. However, material investments are required - it is necessary to pay an examination in the laboratory and the state registration fee. Therefore, it is advisable before purchasing new car immediately think: will the trailer be used to transport goods or not? If the answer is yes, then it is necessary to consider purchasing a model of machines either immediately with a tow bar, 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 documents from the machine manufacturer. But this is only possible if the manufacturer has provided a towbar in the design of the car. 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 towbar as a change in the design of the machine according to the new rules;
• dismantle the towbar (respectively, either do not use such a vehicle for transporting goods on a trailer, or change the car to another model with a towbar).

There are a large number of additional devices that expand the capabilities of the car, one of which is a tow bar. This is a special tool for transporting trailers or trailers. For those who travel a lot around the country, abroad or are engaged in the transport of goods, it is an indispensable thing. But before buying it, each car owner must figure out if there is a fine for a towbar on a car in 2018-2019, and how much is it?

Types of towbars

There is a lot of controversy among motorists whether they will issue a fine for a towbar or not. Their opinion was divided into two sides. And both parties are right in their own way, but if you follow all the rules during its installation and operation, there will be no fine.

There are several types of towbars:

1. Removable - usually installed when needed, and then dismantled. It does not bring any changes to the design of the car, but the traffic police do not agree with this, and if the removable towbar is unregistered , without documents on compatibility with the car, the owner will be issued a fine of 500 rubles or a warning.

2. Built-in by the manufacturer - in this case, the driver needs to show documents confirming the moment, and no one will issue a fine to him. Recently, many began to notice that the attention of traffic police posts to such a towbar has become more frequent, and this is no accident. Some drivers do not install it for its intended purpose, but believe that it can be used to reduce the consequences of a collision. But this is a big misconception. The towbar is more likely to aggravate the situation, and the car may suffer even more.

3. Welded. It can only be installed if it does not violate or change the design of the car. But if you neglect the rules and do it without registration, the owner will already suffer a serious punishment in the form of a fine, the amount of which is 5,000 rubles. If the vehicle assumes the presence of a towbar, and the owner constantly uses a trailer or trailer, then all the necessary documents are drawn up, and you can drive without fear of a fine. Otherwise, it is better to use a removable one, and there will be no problems.

How much is the fine?

So how much will a towbar fine cost for a car enthusiast? If you put the device in accordance with all the rules and adhere to the requirements, then not at all. In other cases, there are several types of punishment:

• A fine of 500 rubles or a warning - when the design of the car is not subject to change by a tow bar removed or built-in by the factory. Issued in the event that there are no supporting documents. To get just a warning, you need to try hard and convince the employees of the State traffic inspectorate that the violation will be eliminated in the near future.
• A fine of 5,000 rubles is imposed if the towbar is welded and changes the design of the vehicle.

Why are traffic police officers attracted to such an insignificant object? If a trailer or trailer is not attached to the towbar, it protrudes from the bumper and increases the risk of a serious accident.

To avoid a fine, you must have:

• A copy of a valid certificate certified by the company that sold it;
• Registration certificate, where marks are made about its installation;
• A receipt confirming the purchase.

A towbar is a really necessary thing for a car and it is worth doing everything so as not to get a fine for using it. You just need to fulfill all the requirements by installing it according to the rules, and you can safely go on a trip abroad or cut through the expanses of our country, no one will say a word. But in case of ignoring the rules, each car owner should be ready to pay a fine, and in some cases not a small one.