My understanding is the ball in Europe is an integral part of the hitch,
and not bolted on like they are in the US; nonetheless, in the US it is
usually the trailer coming off the ball, not the ball coming off the hitch,

that causes a disconnect from the towing vehicle.

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me) "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"

https://sites.google.com/site/motorg.../download-the-
guide-1


Not sure about the rest of Europe but in UK tow balls can be of the bolt
on type. You do find more and more manufacturers of cars will provide
a detachable "swan neck" tow hitch