Post Tagged with: "insurance"

The most frequently asked question for our customer service is probably about the detachable towbar and whether it must be removed when not in use. First of all, it’s important to note: There are no legal regulations regarding whether a detachable towbar must be removed when not in use and no trailer is attached. There are no regulations regarding this, nor are there any fines to expect.

One argument for removing the towbar, however, is that many people find it annoying because it gets in the way when not in use. Second, it is necessary to remove the tow bar whenever it would obscure the vehicle’s license plate. This is not permitted on public roads.

The removable towbar in the event of an accident

In 2023, 2.5 million traffic accidents were recorded in Germany. This includes minor accidents and rear-end collisions, which often occur even at low speeds. If you haven’t removed your towbar, the towbar is also important in the event of an accident. The installed tow bar also changes the overall length of the vehicle, a factor that shouldn’t be overlooked. With a longer trailer, you’re likely to collide with another vehicle when maneuvering or parking, and even minor damage can occur.

In the event of a rear-end collision, an installed towbar can cause significant damage to the vehicle behind you. The protruding tow bar impacts the vehicle behind you with greater pressure at specific points. Depending on the angle, speed, and location of the impact, the damage to the vehicle varies. Even at low speeds, fenders are often dented or frames are distorted. In a collision without a trailer hitch, the force is distributed more evenly, so the damage is usually less.

Relevant for the insurance

So far, there are no official details or regulations from standard insurance companies regarding this either. However, since the risk of accidents and the extent of damage change with a trailer hitch that is not removed, insurance companies may assume an increased operational risk. This can lead to the vehicle owner being held jointly liable, and you may be asked to pay. There is still no official information on this.

Important to note: Replacing the towbar

If you are involved in a rear-end collision and the rear of your vehicle, including the towbar, is affected, you must absolutely replace the entire towbar. The impact from the other vehicle can damage the towbar, making it impossible to tow a trailer. Even small hairline cracks can be relevant.

 

 

The detachable trailer hitch is a practical and convenient solution: If you want to drive the trailer for a short time, but do not necessarily always want to have a trailer hitch mounted on the vehicle, you can remove it at any time. A rigid ball bar does not offer this and can sometimes be a nuisance, for example when loading the car. Often, vehicle owners do not want to permanently drive around with an unused trailer coupling on the vehicle, as this is seen as an interference with the vehicle’s optics, depending on the model.

The detachable towbar is a good alternative, after all, it can be removed at any time in only a few simple steps and is then neither actually nor visually in the way. However, the detachable towbar should be removed in some situations. Although there are no regulations, you should keep a few points in mind.

That is why you should remove the detachable towbar in these cases

Depending on the trailer coupling and vehicle, it may be that the removal of the ball rod is noted in the vehicle documents and thus made a requirement for driving without a trailer. This case can apply, for example, if the towbar would cover the license plate. This is not allowed and must be avoided when driving without a trailer, so you should remove the towball.

Basically, it makes sense to remove the towball whenever you are not pulling a trailer. This is mainly due to insurance reasons. For example, if you back up to another vehicle while parking, the risk of damage to the opposing vehicle with your trailer hitch still installed is higher. This also comes into play in rear-end collisions, although in that case you are only partly to blame if you did not remove the ball bar. Many insurance companies advise you to always remove the ball rod when it is not in use. By doing that, you can minimize personal or third-party damage and you can be sure that the claims that may be made to the insurance company are not reduced.

Should there ever be a rear-end collision with the tow bar installed, i.e. if someone crashes your car from behind and you have not taken off the towbar, the warranty for the entire trailer hitch expires and it must be replaced. The reason for this is that the smallest cracks in the trailer coupling cannot be ruled out. But even if you have removed the towball and someone hits you on your rear, you should at least contact the manufacturer of the trailer coupling and reassure yourself there with regard to a possibly necessary replacement for the cross member.