Chat with a VA State Trooper on Overweight Private Towing
03-09-2007, 10:37 AM
#1
Forum Regulator
VIP MemberThread Starter
Chat with a VA State Trooper on Overweight Private Towing
I was having my truck state safety inspected yesterday, and the shop I go to is a popular hangout spot for State Troopers; like a donut shop with no donuts; as their local HQ is just down the street.
I asked a Trooper that was there about the topic of overweight private towing. His reply:
He has never, nor does he know of any fellow Troopers pulling anyone over for towing for what appears to be overweight. He said that he and his colleagues see it ALL THE TIME, but its not their focus to hone in on these folks. Here in the I-95 corridor, they are cracking down on aggressive and reckless driving in general.
Given a minor incident or accident, he said he has never known them to call out the portable scales to weigh a boat/trailer to see if its over the stated capacity of the tow vehicle. Basically, whether you are over or under your rated towing capacity, you have to control the load. If you are grossly negligent in your towing, and it results in, or contributes to an accident, you are getting a ticket for Failure To Control, Reckless Driving and/or Reckless Endangerment. Any of these pretty much makes you guilty in the insurance companies eyes once they find this out. Key point: you don't have to CAUSE the accident/incident to get a TICKET. You can get the ticket for CONTRIBUTING to the accident/incident, That's about as far as traffic law goes.
HOWEVER, in the event of an accident with a tragedy like serious injury and/or death; Civil Law and Attorneys get involved. YOU CAN BET that State Motor Vehicle Carrier AND private accident investigation firms WILL weigh the vehicles, and carefully inspect the vehicle ratings, hitch and equipment condition and ratings, and the weight of the actual load towed. This can take place after the fact as well. You can be subpoenaed to bring/have your equipment weighed by the court. The Trooper I spoke with has been involved in cases like this.
My conclusion:
Will you get pulled over for pulling a 12,000 lbs. boat behind a 1/2 ton pickup? Probably not.
Will you be in serious deep chit if you are involved in an accident/incident? You can bet on it. At a minimum, you are getting a ticket, and will have the option to plea your case in front of a judge. Worse case scenario, you are involved in serious legal proceedings with unspeakable consequences.
I asked a Trooper that was there about the topic of overweight private towing. His reply:
He has never, nor does he know of any fellow Troopers pulling anyone over for towing for what appears to be overweight. He said that he and his colleagues see it ALL THE TIME, but its not their focus to hone in on these folks. Here in the I-95 corridor, they are cracking down on aggressive and reckless driving in general.
Given a minor incident or accident, he said he has never known them to call out the portable scales to weigh a boat/trailer to see if its over the stated capacity of the tow vehicle. Basically, whether you are over or under your rated towing capacity, you have to control the load. If you are grossly negligent in your towing, and it results in, or contributes to an accident, you are getting a ticket for Failure To Control, Reckless Driving and/or Reckless Endangerment. Any of these pretty much makes you guilty in the insurance companies eyes once they find this out. Key point: you don't have to CAUSE the accident/incident to get a TICKET. You can get the ticket for CONTRIBUTING to the accident/incident, That's about as far as traffic law goes.
HOWEVER, in the event of an accident with a tragedy like serious injury and/or death; Civil Law and Attorneys get involved. YOU CAN BET that State Motor Vehicle Carrier AND private accident investigation firms WILL weigh the vehicles, and carefully inspect the vehicle ratings, hitch and equipment condition and ratings, and the weight of the actual load towed. This can take place after the fact as well. You can be subpoenaed to bring/have your equipment weighed by the court. The Trooper I spoke with has been involved in cases like this.
My conclusion:
Will you get pulled over for pulling a 12,000 lbs. boat behind a 1/2 ton pickup? Probably not.
Will you be in serious deep chit if you are involved in an accident/incident? You can bet on it. At a minimum, you are getting a ticket, and will have the option to plea your case in front of a judge. Worse case scenario, you are involved in serious legal proceedings with unspeakable consequences.
Last edited by Sydwayz; 03-09-2007 at 10:40 AM.
03-09-2007, 11:50 AM
#2
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NY-lake ontario
Posts: 797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That's a great theory...look for the guy on the crotch rocket that can turn and stop on a dime but neglect the 12,500# boat behind the S-10 that could come off and kill a whole family
03-09-2007, 03:42 PM
#3
Registered
Platinum Member
03-10-2007, 08:43 AM
#6
Registered
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SML VA
Posts: 2,952
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kinda like rinding around with no driving permit, you only need unless you have done something wrong! 
no thank's i have to much on the line to lose everything that i have been paying for in the last 15 years because of a sue happy imigrant!:
no thank's i have to much on the line to lose everything that i have been paying for in the last 15 years because of a sue happy imigrant!
:
03-10-2007, 09:20 AM
#7
Emerald Coast of Florida
Gold Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Navarre FL
Posts: 623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In Nevada the weekend before Memorial day last year, I got stopped. They weighted the trailer, and measured the beam & length. The boat/trailer came in at over 12K# and they were going to write me a ticket, until I showed that the tow rating for the dually was 15K# (tow boss with 2.5" receiver). When I asked why I was picked out, they stated that they were cracking down on wide boats without permits and people towing over the limit during busy weekends.
