20 year old towing

[LMH]

Is a 20 year old allowed to tow a caravan?

Lisa

 

[Sproket]

Have a look on here Directgov driver info

 

[Sproket]

Looks like the min age is 17 to tow.

 

[LMH]

Thanks, I just wondered because there's a letter in the CC mag from a woman who tows a van and she's 20.

Lisa

 

[RogerL]

Why not? The driving test can be taken from their 17th birthday - once they've passed they can drive any performance car (subject to insurance) and tow up to 3500kg train weight, eg 1600kg kerbweight car (2100kg gross), 1400kg MTPLM caravan.

I personally think that the driving test is too basic and that significant vehicle restrictions should be imposed until a more comprehensive test is passed. It'll never happen though, because about 50% of our current drivers couldn't pass a more comprehensive test so it would be political suicide to even propose it.

 

[Steve L]

Not wishing to be the sceptic here Roger, but it's more like 80%. Even seasoned drivers like myself have bad habbits.

It is more likely that a fresh from driving school driver will be more wary, well at least until the first "Boy racer/Laddette" belts past with the obligatory drain pipe poking out of the bucket sized cut out of a 1.2 Ltr Corsa.

There's no reason at all why even a 17 year old can't tow a trailer, I did back in 1977.

Today though in todays traffic, I would freely welcome driver assessments say for those 40 and over, and these should take place every 5 years in my oppinion. Perhaps a simple half hour assessment and de-brief would keep everyone at the "top of their game".

I've been assessed by 5 different car manufacturers/motoring safety bodies in the last 10 years, which I found both enlightening and beneficial. Quite easy now to spot the growling grannies in the shade on a sunny day and the budding clarksons on the A19.

Joking appart, continual assessment and also making the motorway part of a driving test would start to bring a standard of driving back to the uk.

I'd better whip the flack jacket on now!

Steve L.

 

[NigelHutson]

Steve,

I couldn't agree more. The general standard of driving in the UK is appalling, from the Boy Racers in their "Corsas" to the Knights of the Road in their artics.

I'll join you with the flack jacket!

Nigel.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi all.

"do you want to borrow my jacket steve" its got a few bullet holes in it though :O)

I would agree with the 80% remark the standard of driving in this country is appaling and gets worse every year the standard driving test is not hard enough and does not cover the basics of all weather, all roads, driving and once passed it becomes a steep learing curve that most just cannot seem to grasp.

ok so it as allways been like that but perhaps that is the problem too many cars driven by people who are still learning their road skills unaided.

 

[Steve L]

Thanks for the offer of the jacket.

But here in SAS county we don't need them. I have my trusty celtic sword and dragon shield for battle dress.

Don't know if it's changed today or not, but when I took my HGV1 test that was conducted with an empty 25ft trailer and the whole rig weighed less than 13 tons. Pass your test then you get let loose on a 40ft trailer and 38tons without having to prove yourself. I know now you can't go to LGV1 without doing class 2 first but if it's still in empty trucks it bares no resemblance to reality.

To be quite honest we are all learning every day as, there are always new situations unfolding in front of us out there on the big black slab.

Steve L.