USD
GBP
EUR
Can a homemade caravan weighing under 700 kg be driven on the road? Can it be used on highways? Is it legal?
I often encounter this question from netizens, so how should I answer it? Simply put, homemade travel trailers are allowed on public roads and highways, regardless of their weight. Just like unregistered cars, they can be driven on public roads and highways without any problems; it's just illegal.
Leaving aside the question of whether it's even legal to drive on the road, the very act of self-made vehicles is already addressed by national regulations. Article 100 of the Road Traffic Safety Law stipulates that if a driver operates an assembled motor vehicle or a motor vehicle that has reached the scrapping standard on the road, the public security traffic management department shall confiscate it and forcibly scrap it. Drivers of the aforementioned motor vehicles shall be fined between 200 and 2,000 yuan and have their driver's licenses revoked.
See? Homemade RVs are illegal. If caught, they will be confiscated, you'll be fined, and your driver's license will be revoked-it's a serious offense. These days, it's usually confiscation, a fine, and 12 points deducted from your license, which most people can't accept. If yours is from a legitimate manufacturer, with an invoice and certificate of conformity, but it's not registered, what are the penalties?
According to the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China", if a motor vehicle is driven on the road without a license plate, the traffic management department of the public security organ shall detain the motor vehicle, notify the party concerned to provide the corresponding license plate and certificate, and the driver shall be given 12 points and fined 200 yuan. The motor vehicle shall be returned in a timely manner after the party concerned provides the corresponding license plate and certificate.
Why do so many people say that vehicles weighing less than 700 kilograms don't need license plates? Where do they get their courage from, and where does this idea come from?
Most of these are based on this: Article 56 of the Implementation Regulations of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that motor vehicles towing trailers shall meet the following requirements: (ii) Small passenger cars are only permitted to tow recreational trailers or trailers with a total mass of 700 kg or less. Trailers shall not carry passengers;
Actually, this regulation only tells us that cars can tow motorhomes and trailers weighing less than 700 kg. Not registering them is, to put it nicely, skirting the rules; to put it bluntly, it's self-deception. It can be interpreted as allowing us to tow motorhomes and trailers weighing less than 700 kg that don't require registration. Please read on.
Whether it's a motorhome or a trailer, it falls under the category of motor vehicles, and as such, it must be registered to be driven on the road. Driving without a license plate is illegal. You can refer to the People's Republic of China Public Security Industry Standard GA802-2014 "Motor Vehicle Type Terminology and Definitions," section 3.2, which defines a motor vehicle as one that is driven or towed by a power device, including automobiles and automobile trains, trailers, trams, special-type motor vehicles, and tractors that travel on roads.
According to Article 8 of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, the state implements a registration system for motor vehicles. Motor vehicles may only be driven on roads after being registered by the traffic management department of the public security organ. Motor vehicles that have not yet been registered and need to be driven on roads temporarily must obtain a temporary license plate.
Therefore, license plates are mandatory for driving on the road. Driving without a license plate carries the risk of being penalized, although many police officers don't seem to care these days. You might ask, why do some businesses advertise that you can drive without a license plate? And why are so many people still driving without one? The main reason is that fewer people are driving without license plates now. Driving is mostly limited to holidays and suburban tourist attractions. At these times and locations, the police's primary task is to maintain order and security; they won't care whether you have a license plate or not. Being caught mainly happens in the city center or during special inspections, so getting caught is as rare as winning the lottery.
Who are the people who drive vehicles without license plates these days? Most of them are off-road enthusiasts; they rarely drive on national highways into cities, heading straight to their destinations. Secondly, there are RV dealers; their destinations are exhibitions, and they mostly drive on highways as well.
My advice to everyone is that if you can't get a license plate, don't argue with others; take the highway whenever possible; and avoid going to the city if you can avoid it.