Towing trailers — North Dakota Permit Test

When you tow a camping, utility, or boat trailer, the added weight lengthens the distance needed to stop your vehicle.

A heavy trailer keeps pushing after you brake, so stopping takes more road than you expect.

Whether you are towing a camping trailer, a utility trailer, or a boat trailer, the increased weight from the trailer will lengthen the distance necessary to stop your vehicle.

When traveling faster than 25 miles per hour with a trailer, you need safety chains or brakes capable of holding the trailer if the coupling breaks.

If the hitch breaks at speed, a loose trailer can run into other cars unless chains or brakes hold it.

When traveling faster than 25 miles per hour, you need safety chains or brakes capable of holding the trailer if the coupling breaks.

A trailer needs safety chains or brakes that can hold it if the coupling breaks.

A trailer that comes loose on the road becomes a heavy object with no driver.

When traveling faster than 25 miles per hour, you need safety chains or brakes capable of holding the trailer if the coupling breaks.

A trailer needs turn signals, stop lights, 2 red reflectors, and 2 red taillights on the rear, visible for 1,000 feet.

Drivers behind you see the trailer, not your car, so it needs its own lights to show when you turn or stop.

You need turn signals, stop lights, two red reflectors, and two red taillights mounted on the rear of the trailer and visible for a distance of 1,000 feet.

A trailer 80 inches or more in width needs 2 amber clearance lamps on the front and 2 red clearance lights on the back.

Clearance lamps show other drivers how wide the trailer is, so they do not clip its corners at night.

You need two amber clearance lamps on the front and two red clearance lights on the back of your trailer if it is 80 inches or more in width.

Every vehicle must have a mirror that lets you see at least 200 feet to the rear.

With a trailer behind you, you still need to see traffic coming up from behind before you change lanes.

Every vehicle must have a mirror allowing you to see at least 200 feet to the rear.

When towing another vehicle, the drawbar or connection must be designed, strong, and built to prevent the vehicles from uncoupling unintentionally.

A weak tow connection can snap and send the towed vehicle loose into traffic.

shall be of such design, strength, and construction to prevent the unintentional uncoupling of the vehicles.

For your safety, it is better to slow down when you are towing a trailer in a strong wind.

Wind pushes hard on a tall trailer and can make it sway or pull your vehicle out of its lane.

For your safety, it is better to slow down when you are towing a trailer in a strong wind.

How does towing a trailer change how your vehicle stops?

It takes a longer distance to stop. A heavy trailer keeps pushing after you brake, so stopping takes more road than you expect. North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, p.26: “Whether you are towing a camping trailer, a utility trailer, or a boat trailer, the increased weight from the trailer will lengthen the distance necessary to stop your vehicle.”