What is the speed limit when towing a caravan?

By Ané Theron

On 11 November 2016, The Department of Transport signed off on a speed limit for heavy vehicles travelling on our roads, restricting them to a top speed of only 100 km per hour, and this includes your caravan, if it exceeds a certain weight.

The regulation has been imposed on vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) or gross combination mass (GCM) which is greater than 3,500kg – which includes smaller goods vehicles, if they are pulling a trailer.

Gross Vehicle Mass refers to the weight of the trailer or caravan being towed. This GVM weight may not exceed the licence or tare weight of the towing vehicle.

The Gross Combination Mass is the maximum combined GVM’s of the trailer, or caravan, as well as the towing vehicle. In other words, if your car and the trailer/ caravan you’re towing exceeds 3500 kg, 100 km per hour is your speed limit - even if otherwise indicated on freeways or highways, where the limit is usually set at 120 km/h maximum.

Goods vehicles with a GVM or GCM above 9,000kg are still restricted to a maximum speed limit of 80 km per hour.

Did you know…

...that an ordinary driver’s license (Code B) only allows you to tow trailers lighter than 750kg? For anything larger, such as a caravan, one requires a Code EB license. This legislation has been around for some years already, but many drivers  are unaware of this requirement.

Click here to stay on the right side of the law by making sure you are only towing what you are allowed to tow, and in the correct manner.

For safe towing tips, read this:

For the legal nitty-gritty, read Towing of Vehicles and the and the National Road Traffic Act.