A driver of a 4X4 in Co. Cork will face court after being caught without the required licence and over the speed limit for a vehicle towing a trailer.
Gardaí in Cork stopped the vehicle on the M8, near Fermoy, yesterday (Tuesday, August 17).
The vehicle was found to be traveling at 113kph. However, the speed limit when towing a trailer – regardless of what type of trailer – is 80kph.
The driver was issued with a speeding ticket by Mitchelstown Roads Policing Unit. It subsequently transpired that the driver did not have the relevant licence and will face a day in court.
“[The driver] will be travelling down the M8 again to visit the local district court in the near future,” Gardaí remarked in a social media post.
According to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), a Category B licence permits towing a trailer with a car, van or 4X4 where the mass of the trailer is no greater than 750kg or where the combined mass of the vehicle and trailer is no greater than 3,500kg.
A Category BE licence is required to tow a trailer where the combined mass of the trailer and vehicle is greater than 3,500kg.
Category B learner permit holders may not tow any trailer regardless of the size.
This isn’t the first towing trouble Gardaí have had to deal with recently.
Lat week, the driver of a 4X4 towing a trailer with a skip was grounded by Gardaí due to concerns of excessive weight on the trailer, which had one defective tyre.
The vehicle was stopped in Co. Cavan.
Taking to social media on Friday, August 13, Cavan-Monaghan Garda division said: “Earlier this week this vehicle was stopped by Gardaí in Bailieboro. The legal gross combination weight of this jeep, trailer and load should not exceed 6t.
“It turned out that the gross combination weight in this case was 9t… The excessive weight caused one of the tyres to fail,” Gardaí added.
There were also no tail lights or brake lights on the trailer. The vehicle and trailer were seized for inspection and prosecution will follow, according to the Gardaí.