It appears many van and ute drivers are regularly towing loads that are heavier than what their vehicle was designed to handle.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in the UK found conducted research and found 53% of van drivers didn’t know their vehicle’s maximum load carrying capacity.
While almost half of businesses reported that they don’t monitor the weights of company vehicles on a regular basis.
The research comes after the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reported that they found that as many as 89% of the light commercial vehicles (LCV) that they stopped on UK roads last year were being driven overloaded.
Trevor Hodgson-Phillips, Head of Service and Parts at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, says using the wrong vehicle for towing can also affect driving performance and can cause long term detrimental damage to the vehicle.
“Towing can cause a serious legal minefield for businesses and damage to vehicles.
“We aim to help our customers by advising on the right vehicle and towbar fitment to suit their needs.
“Working hand-in-hand with our customers, we can ensure they have the peace-of-mind their vehicle will be equipped with the correct towbar for the job in hand.”