stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,842
Club RR Member Number: 174
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 17:53:40 GMT
|
From the DVSA Facebook. Following the recent government consultation, car drivers will be able to tow a trailer without a taking a test š This change will mean drivers who passed their car test after 1 January 1997 will be able to tow a trailer up to 3,500kg when the law is changed. This will be as soon as possible. āļøDrivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 can already tow without a car and trailer test, so are not affected by this change. This will allow us to offer more lorry tests š We still encourage you to have training before towing a trailer to keep you safe. More info here ā”ļø www.gov.uk/guidance/new-rules-for-towing-a-trailer-or-caravan-with-a-car-from-autumn-2021
|
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 18:34:55 GMT
|
Heated discussion on friendface about this.
Expect grotty old 4x4s with 3.5t plated towing weight and trailers to get (even more) expensive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 18:35:18 GMT
|
Just seen this myself and cant decide if I'm happy about it or not. I fall into that 1997+ category and have been considering getting my license for a while. this will save me alot of money having to do that but there is already enough idiots on the road that don't know how to tow or load a trailer do we really need more?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 19:17:40 GMT
|
Heated discussion on friendface about this. Expect grotty old 4x4s with 3.5t plated towing weight and trailers to get (even more) expensive. Canāt think of anything Iād rather own less, so let em crack on. Wow we had 80ās land rovers (in the 80ās when they were new) as breakdown vehicles & they were the most hateful thing ever then, so why the hell anyone would want one now is beyond me. But on topic, not sure why they bothered changing it in the first place, seemed to work ok for half a century before
|
|
Last Edit: Sept 10, 2021 19:19:37 GMT by rattlecan
|
|
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 19:18:18 GMT
|
It makes a big difference to me, I've passed my HGV1&2 tests but they were revoked (they didn't revoke my bike licence though) when I got diagnosed with bipolar and put on a plethora of drugs, this means I can make full use of the regs to move stuff now without pestering someone else.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 19:19:03 GMT
|
TBH the way the law was written it was very hard to understand especially as it used MAM rather than actual weight. Hence you could be illegal shifting an empty car trailer weighing less than 750kg...
I would expect it to be back but in revised form at some point
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 19:20:45 GMT
|
It makes a big difference to me, I've passed my HGV1&2 tests but they were revoked (they didn't revoke my bike licence though) when I got diagnosed with bipolar and put on a plethora of drugs, this means I can make full use of the regs to move stuff now without pestering someone else. No chance of getting them back once you have been stable for X length of time like for epilepsy?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 19:23:38 GMT
|
No, it's the antipsychotic's I'm on not the stability strangely enough. It did irk me a bit, you can be diabetic and have them but not if you're prescribed other stuff.
|
|
|
|
norm75
Part of things
Posts: 658
|
|
Sept 10, 2021 20:12:56 GMT
|
It makes a big difference to me, I've passed my HGV1&2 tests but they were revoked (they didn't revoke my bike licence though) when I got diagnosed with bipolar and put on a plethora of drugs, this means I can make full use of the regs to move stuff now without pestering someone else. No chance of getting them back once you have been stable for X length of time like for epilepsy? I think a medical examination from a doctor is required. I am in the same boat, had my license revoked for a year and lost my 7.5t license but kept bike license. Nothing wrong with me though, I was unlucky that I took my 18 month son to hospital with gastrointestinitis and he was distressed when the drips were put in, I could feel rage building and the next thing I came round on the floor. Tested for epilepsy but all clear but still wouldnāt reinstate license categories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 9:24:14 GMT
|
To be honest, the current towing laws are so utterly confusing, itās probably a good thing that everyone gets the same law. Iām post-1997 and Iāve never been clear about what Iāve been able to tow, if anything at all.
|
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 9:42:14 GMT
|
To be honest, the current towing laws are so utterly confusing, itās probably a good thing that everyone gets the same law. Iām post-1997 and Iāve never been clear about what Iāve been able to tow, if anything at all. Iāve just been reading up properly and in typical government fashion, what theyāre proposing is still different to the laws for pre-97 licenses. Pre-97 is max train weight 8250kg within plated weights of tow vehicle. (So say a 4500 tow vehicle with a 3750 trailer if the tow vehicle is plated to tow that much). Post 97 will now be 3.5t MAM tow vehicle on a cat B license with a trailer of 3.5t MAM for a train weight of 7t max. So itās still full of pitfalls and loopholes. Personally Iād have like to have seen the cat B weight limit pushed to 4.5t so you could put more or less any car on a transit type car transporter and not be overweight, which in practical terms would be more useful, and safer than encouraging people to tow 3.5t trailers with empty tow vehicles as this change does. Most of these vehicles (sprinters, transits, other LWB or chassis cab vans) are plated at 4.5t or 5t in other markets anyway, and are only downplated when sold here because of our license laws. Adding capacity to every smaller goods vehicle would do a similar job to adding more larger ones, so it could be argued would have a beneficial effect to the overall problem they're proportedly trying to solve.
|
|
Last Edit: Sept 11, 2021 10:00:43 GMT by Dez
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 9:53:36 GMT
|
Heated discussion on friendface about this. Expect grotty old 4x4s with 3.5t plated towing weight and trailers to get (even more) expensive. Canāt think of anything Iād rather own less, so let em crack on. Wow we had 80ās land rovers (in the 80ās when they were new) as breakdown vehicles & they were the most hateful thing ever then, so why the hell anyone would want one now is beyond me. But on topic, not sure why they bothered changing it in the first place, seemed to work ok for half a century before Theyāll want them because itās now a massive loophole to allow people to tow stuff around cheaply. Shoguns, cherokees, rangers, l200s etc are all going to be in high demand due to being plated at 3.5t towing weight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 10:19:54 GMT
|
As pointed out on another forum rather than make HGV tests simpler they could just have done away with the CPC requirements which would mean loads of existing older license holders would be able to get back into the job with minimal hastle.
|
|
Last Edit: Sept 11, 2021 10:20:31 GMT by dodgerover
|
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 11:12:55 GMT
|
Hi, Don't all rush out and buy 3.5T tow vehicles because of this - www.backhousejones.co.uk/a-weight-on-your-shoulders/ Initially this reads as driving vehicles to the EU only but it's a consultation with the UK. DVSA are doing their part over here as well with a view to dropping the operator's licence and tachograph requirements to 2.5T weight limit. Now, cynical me thinks that, as the UK government has stated that we will shadow or mirror EU laws going forward, I think this is part of tidying up licence classes to then unify down to the new weights next year or in the future. Colin
|
|
|
|
norm75
Part of things
Posts: 658
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 15:55:55 GMT
|
It is still massively confusing. The way I read the new rules on the gov website, pre 97 license can tow up to 8500kg fully laden (tow vehicle and trailer/caravan) or there abouts (donāt quote me on actual figure I canāt remember exactly) and post 97 total combined weight 4250kg (again donāt quote me)
I then checked my license through the gov website and the categories they left me with ( test passed in 92, license revoked for medical investigation 2003, medical results normal, license reinstated minus various categories, including C 7.5tonne with trailer and minibus) and it says under my class B a total mam 3500kg, trailer 750kg, can tow heavier trailer as long as not heavier than tow vehicle but under my class BE it just says I can tow with a car and trailer over 3500kg so I am still confused about it.
Relevant to me as my father in law is going to give me a lwb shogun to tow my caravan
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 17:17:13 GMT
|
As pointed out on another forum rather than make HGV tests simpler they could just have done away with the CPC requirements which would mean loads of existing older license holders would be able to get back into the job with minimal hastle. You'd think so, but the CPC is yet another example of a missed opportunity, when it could have been so good, it's become just another box-ticking exercise. Also the majority of drivers who are leaving the trade - edit- that I've spoken to- (including me) are doing so because of the endless rounds of hassle from employers, DVSA etc etc and extra costs Ā£170 for a medical anyone? š³
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 17:21:05 GMT
|
Hi, Don't all rush out and buy 3.5T tow vehicles because of this - www.backhousejones.co.uk/a-weight-on-your-shoulders/ Initially this reads as driving vehicles to the EU only but it's a consultation with the UK. DVSA are doing their part over here as well with a view to dropping the operator's licence and tachograph requirements to 2.5T weight limit. Now, cynical me thinks that, as the UK government has stated that we will shadow or mirror EU laws going forward, I think this is part of tidying up licence classes to then unify down to the new weights next year or in the future. Colin Some parties in the EU have been pushing for this for years but as with everything EU the parliment can procastinate as much as it likes but inless all the countries agree (and several don't) it won't get through the council who hold all the power. Also at the moment most of the regs only apply for commercial use not private.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 11, 2021 18:02:38 GMT
|
It is still massively confusing. The way I read the new rules on the gov website, pre 97 license can tow up to 8500kg fully laden (tow vehicle and trailer/caravan) or there abouts (donāt quote me on actual figure I canāt remember exactly) and post 97 total combined weight 4250kg (again donāt quote me) I then checked my license through the gov website and the categories they left me with ( test passed in 92, license revoked for medical investigation 2003, medical results normal, license reinstated minus various categories, including C 7.5tonne with trailer and minibus) and it says under my class B a total mam 3500kg, trailer 750kg, can tow heavier trailer as long as not heavier than tow vehicle but under my class BE it just says I can tow with a car and trailer over 3500kg so I am still confused about it. Relevant to me as my father in law is going to give me a lwb shogun to tow my caravan They say they are going to add BE to your licence , this is what the .gov site says for BE "Category BE You can drive a vehicle with a MAM of 3,500kg with a trailer. The size of the trailer depends on the BE āvalid fromā date shown on your licence. If the date is: before 19 January 2013, you can tow any size trailer on or after 19 January 2013, you can tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3,500kg." So you should be OK for any caravan under 3500kg Max authorised Mass and any tow vehicle under 3500kg.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 12, 2021 12:54:33 GMT
|
Wow, I didnāt know that was a thing. In the US air brakes are really the only divider from what anyone can haul and sometimes itās SCARY what people are towing and with what. My truck has a 11,600# tow rating which is absolutely ridiculous
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 12, 2021 18:21:55 GMT
|
Wow, I didnāt know that was a thing. In the US air brakes are really the only divider from what anyone can haul and sometimes itās SCARY what people are towing and with what. My truck has a 11,600# tow rating which is absolutely ridiculous Is that gross train or just trailer weight it's about 5.2 metric ton
|
|
|
|
|