Burkina Faso Permis E (Remorque) common mistakes
Burkina Faso Permis E (Remorque) · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Stopping at a STOP line or entering a roundabout without making a full visual check of the left and of the blind spot created by the trailer, treating the combination like a solo car.
Candidates learn to drive a car first and carry over the habit of checking only the interior mirror and the near lane; the trailer blocks the interior mirror and lengthens the vehicle, so the reflex check no longer covers the real danger zones.
What to do instead
Before every junction, roundabout entry and lane change, apply a fixed sequence: interior mirror, left mirror, right mirror, direct look over the shoulder on the side you are moving to, then signal. Practise it until it is automatic, and remember the trailer tracks inside the turning arc so the gap on the inside must be checked twice.
Misreading the meaning of a triangular warning sign with a trailer symbol or of a prohibitory sign showing a trailer pictogram, and continuing as if the restriction applied only to lorries.
The trailer pictogram signs are rare in everyday driving and candidates confuse the lorry symbol with the trailer symbol, or assume a weight limit shown applies to the towing vehicle alone rather than to the whole combination.
What to do instead
Learn to read the sign as a whole: shape gives the category (triangle = danger, circle = prohibition, square = information), the pictogram identifies who is concerned, and the plate underneath gives the value. When a weight is shown, add the laden towing vehicle and the laden trailer before deciding whether you may proceed.
Driving a trailer combination whose gross train weight exceeds what the BE licence held actually authorises, or towing without the trailer registered and plated, believing that the BE category covers any trailer.
Candidates memorise 'BE means trailer' without learning the weight ceilings, and they confuse the maximum authorised mass of the trailer with its actual laden mass on the day.
What to do instead
Before each trip, compare three numbers: the maximum authorised mass of the towing vehicle, the maximum authorised mass of the trailer, and the gross train weight on the vehicle's plate. Confirm the sum falls within the BE entitlement and that the trailer has its own registration document and plate. If any figure is unclear, treat it as not authorised and check with the prefecture.
Coupling the trailer by dropping it onto the ball without confirming the lock has engaged and the safety indicator is visible, and leaving the breakaway cable looped over the ball instead of anchored to a fixed point.
The coupling click is quiet and candidates are in a hurry; the breakaway cable is often attached to the tow ball because it is the nearest metal part, which defeats its purpose if the coupling separates.
What to do instead
After lowering the hitch, lift the drawbar with the jockey wheel to confirm the coupling is locked, check the release handle is fully home, fit the lock if provided, then attach the breakaway cable to a dedicated anchorage on the tow bar, not to the ball. Finish with a pull-test and a lights check before moving.
Braking late and hard into a bend with the trailer attached, then feeling the combination push the towing vehicle wide or start to snake on the exit.
The candidate keeps the solo-car braking points and does not allow for the trailer's inertia and the extra mass, and does not know that braking while turning is what triggers the jack-knife tendency.
What to do instead
Brake in a straight line before the bend, select the correct gear early, and take the curve at a steady speed with light throttle. If snaking begins, release the accelerator smoothly, hold the steering wheel firmly and straight, and avoid braking hard; only brake gently once the oscillation has settled.
Loading the trailer with the heavy items at the rear or on one side only, and not checking the nose weight on the coupling before setting off.
It is easier to push heavy objects to the back of an open trailer, and candidates do not realise that a light nose weight causes snaking while an excessive one overloads the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
What to do instead
Place the heaviest items over or slightly ahead of the trailer axle, distribute the rest symmetrically, and measure the nose weight with a gauge so it sits within the range given by the vehicle manufacturer. Re-check the coupling height and the trailer's level attitude afterwards, and secure every item so nothing can shift under braking.
Reversing with the trailer by watching only the interior mirror, over-steering, and losing control of the combination within the first few metres.
The trailer disappears from the interior mirror as soon as it swings, and the candidate reacts to the trailer's movement instead of anticipating it, so the correction arrives too late and too large.
What to do instead
Reverse at walking pace with the steering wheel held at the bottom, use both exterior mirrors and a guide if available, and steer the trailer deliberately: to move the trailer left, turn the wheel right. Straighten the wheel as soon as the trailer heads the right way, and stop and pull forward to reset whenever the angle grows too large.
Leaving the scene of a collision, or moving an injured motorcyclist, without securing the area first and without giving the alert with the correct information.
Panic and the wish to clear the road take over, and candidates have not rehearsed the order of actions, so they protect the victim badly or forget to state the location and the number of casualties.
What to do instead
Apply the sequence: switch off engines, hazard lights and warning triangle at a safe distance, get everyone behind the barrier, then call the emergency services and state the exact location, the number of casualties and the hazards present. Do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger such as fire; keep them warm and still until help arrives.
Setting off on a long tow after a short night and a heavy lunch, relying on coffee and open windows to stay awake, and treating the first signs of drowsiness as something to push through.
Towing is more tiring than solo driving because of the constant small corrections, and candidates underestimate how quickly concentration decays, especially on straight motorway sections.
What to do instead
Plan a break of at least fifteen minutes every two hours, avoid heavy meals before driving, share the driving if another qualified driver is present, and stop at the first yawn, heavy eyelids or drifting attention. A short sleep in a safe parking area is the only reliable remedy; coffee and fresh air are not.
Driving the day after drinking heavily, believing that a night's sleep has cleared the alcohol, and refusing to consider that a single glass at lunch matters when towing.
Candidates judge fitness by how they feel rather than by how much they drank and when, and they do not know that alcohol elimination takes time and that even a low level slows reactions and narrows attention.
What to do instead
Apply the rule of zero alcohol before driving, count the hours since the last drink rather than the hours of sleep, and remember that the legal limit is a ceiling, not a target, and that fatigue multiplies the effect of alcohol. If in doubt, do not drive, and arrange another driver or a later departure.