ANFATRE (the Brazilian National Association of Trailer, Towing Equipment and Hitch Manufacturers), aiming to
safeguard consumer safety as well as to preserve jobs at
duly approved hitch manufacturers and throughout the entire chain of suppliers,
distributors and retailers, in light of what has been circulating on social media about the installation of
hitches on vehicles that do not have a towing capacity declared by the manufacturer, comes forward publicly to
clarify that since its founding it has been working to improve the market for
Trailers and Hitches in accordance with Contran Resolution 937/22 (National Traffic Council),
and therefore has the necessary grounds to state that the Resolution is intended to
regulate, not to prohibit the use of hitches.
Article 6 of Contran Resolution 937/22 (National Traffic Council) provides for the use of the
hitch as an automotive accessory:
Art. 6 Vehicles in circulation on the date this resolution takes effect may continue to
use the hitches they carry, provided that the following requirements are met:
I – Any hitch model, as long as the equipment is factory original, and;
II – When installed as an accessory, the hitch must have the following
characteristics:
a) solid ball suitable for towing a trailer or travel trailer;
b) socket and installation suitable for connection to the towed vehicle;
c) device for attaching the trailer's safety chain;
d) no cutting surfaces or sharp edges on the ball mounting shank;
e) no lighting device.
According to this resolution, which is regulatory in nature, there is no prohibition on
the use of a hitch for aesthetic purposes or as an automotive accessory for carrying bikes,
wheelchairs and other similar products on vehicles that do not have a towing capacity
declared by the manufacturer.
Therefore, we understand that manufacturing hitches for the above vehicles (those that do not
have towing capacity) is a legal market practice, provided for by law, and one that still
drives the country's economy, generating hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
Since the regulation of hitches, ANFATRE has been working toward a fair market,
ensuring that duly approved manufacturers offer quality products
that guarantee consumers' safety and meet their needs.
Source and information: https://www.anfatre.com.br/
