A driver of a 4X4 was pulled over by Gardai for speeding at 150kph, while towing a trailer on the M3 motorway.

The driver was stopped by Gardai in Co. Meath, according to a tweet on the official twitter page for An Garda Siochana.

If a person is towing a trailer, the maximum speed you can travel at is 80kph, the tweet added. This meant that the driver was towing the flat-bed trailer at almost twice the legal speed limit.

The Gardai also reminded drivers that they must acquire the correct licence before towing a trailer on public roads.

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Last week, two 4X4 drivers were pulled over by Gardai in separate incidents in Co. Wexford for towing a trailer without a valid BE licence.

Have You Got The Proper Licence?

The type of trailer a driver is allowed to tow depends on which licence they hold, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) states.

A category B driving licence allows you to drive a car, van or 4X4 where the maximum weight does not exceed 3,500kg. This licence type allows you to tow a trailer weighing less than 750kg.

If the trailer – being towed by a person with a category B driving licence – weighs in excess of 750kg, the combined maximum weight of the towing vehicle, trailer and its load must not exceed 3,500kg.

Meanwhile, a category BE driving licence allows you to tow a trailer where the combined maximum weight of the towing vehicle and trailer is greater than 3,500kg.

Generally, a category B licence does not entitle the holder to tow a horsebox or a livestock trailer, because the combined maximum weight would exceed 3,500kg, the RSA explained.

The holder of a category B learner permit may not tow any trailer, it added. The maximum speed limit for a vehicle towing a trailer is 80kph; this applies on all roads.

The RSA also advises that farmers and those towing trailers ensure they are aware of the towing capacity of their vehicles and that trailers are in safe working order.