I agree we seem to be getting lost in a sea of rules nowadays. In the 50's my parents towed their first van, a Bluebird with a Riley 9. The towbar was homemade and when we hit some steeper hills in Oxfordshre my mother and I had to get out and push. Then we had to walk back down the hill to push the motorbike, no sidecar, towing a small van up as well, ah!, the good old days.
However, with the density, and speed of traffic nowadays some of the rules are very sensible, to ensure you don't get caught out in a mistake yourself. The main priority is to ensure you have the 'tail wagging the dog' so always keep the car heavier than the loaded van. Getting into a snake can be a scary experience as panic usually takes over and that can make it worse. Avoidance is the best option. Anyone who really wishes to know the best way to tow can do no worse than try one of the Courses offered by the 2 main caravanning organisations. They are fun and do tell you a lot.
Otherwise a lot of it is very similar to a 'Defensive Driving' Course, in other words avoidance of potential problems leads to safer driving. Commonsense really.
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