How will a heavy load on your roof rack affect your vehicles handling?
A. It will improve the road holding
B. It will make the steering lighter
C. It will reduce the stopping distance
D. It will reduce stability
A heavy load on your roof rack will make your vehicle less stable. If you change direction too quickly you could lose control.
Who’s responsible for making sure that a vehicle isn’t overloaded?
A. The driver of the vehicle
D. The licensing authority
Carrying heavy loads will affect control and the vehicle’s handling. If the vehicle you’re driving is overloaded, you’ll be held responsible.
Are passengers allowed to ride in a caravan that’s being towed?
A. Yes, if they’re over 14
D. Only if a stabiliser is fitted
Riding in a towed caravan is highly dangerous. Moving passengers would make the caravan unstable and could cause loss of control.
How should a load be carried on your roof rack?
D. Covered with plastic sheeting
Any load must be securely fastened to the vehicle. The safest way to carry items on the roof is in a specially designed roof box. This will help to keep your luggage secure and dry, and it also has less wind resistance than loads carried exposed on a roof rack.
What should you do if you’re towing a trailer and it starts to swing from side to side?
D. Accelerate until it stabilises
Strong winds from large vehicles can cause a trailer or caravan to swing from side to side (‘snake’). If this happens, ease off the accelerator. Don’t brake harshly, steer sharply or increase your speed.
When would you increase the pressure in your tyres so that it’s above the normal value?
D. When carrying a heavy load
Check the vehicle handbook. This should give you guidance on the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle and when you may need to adjust them. If you’re carrying a heavy load, you may need to adjust the headlights as well. Most cars have a switch on the dashboard to do this.
What would be affected if you carry a very heavy load on your vehicle?
A. The vehicle’s gearbox
B. The vehicle’s ventilation
C. The vehicle’s handling
D. The vehicle’s battery
Any load will have an effect on the handling of your vehicle, and this becomes worse as you increase the load. You need to be aware of this when carrying passengers or heavy loads, fitting a roof rack or towing a trailer.
You’re planning to tow a caravan. What will help the handling of the combination?
D. A stabiliser fitted to the tow bar
Towing a caravan or trailer affects the way the towing vehicle handles. A stabiliser device isn’t designed to overcome instability caused by incorrect loading but it can give added security in side winds and from buffeting caused by large vehicles.
What safety device must be fitted to a trailer braking system?
A. Stabiliser
B. Jockey wheel
C. Corner steadies
D. Breakaway cable
In the event that the trailer becomes detached from the towing vehicle, the breakaway cable activates the trailer brakes before snapping. This allows the towing vehicle to get free of the trailer and out of danger.
You wish to tow a trailer. Where would you find the maximum noseweight for your vehicle’s tow hitch?
A. In the vehicle handbook
B. In The Highway Code
C. In your vehicle registration certificate
D. In your licence documents
You must know how to load your trailer or caravan so that the hitch exerts an appropriate downward force on the tow ball. Information about the maximum permitted noseweight can be found in your vehicle handbook or obtained from your vehicle manufacturer’s agent.