B+E licence

[tom a]

My wife as recently passed her driving test but our car and caravan weigh more than 3500kgs.I understand she will not be able to drive the outfit without passing another test.If this is correct can she drive with L plates fitted and also will she be able to drive on the motorway? Thanks for any info.

 

[Lucylou]

Hi Tom - One must take a further test in order to pass and qualify for the B + E on you licence. Without B + E on your licence you would be towing illegally. You are not permitted to TOW with 'L' plates whatsoever - period. It is good to see a proposed caravanner doing their homework first, good luck.

 

[Lucylou]

Hi Tom - Forgot to mention the motorway enquiry, if your wife has passed her driving test then she can drive on any motorway, no problem. Learners are forbidden to use any motorway. However, I would strongly suggest that as your wife is totally inexperienced, that she seeks some proffessional tuition with regards to motorway driving. This is I believe would be more than sensible rather than just jumping in the deep end and joining the fast rat race on motorways. Good luck and safe motoring.

 

[Tony_5041751]

If the Caravan weighs less than the weight of the car, then the new licence entitles your wife to drive car and trailer, as long as the entire car/caravan combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

 

[Damian]

Tom, have a look at this site:

http://www.drivenow.co.uk/Towing.html
it seems to imply that having a L plate woul dbe ok, providing you met the other criteria, however, a call to the local licencing office or test centre should give a definate answer.

 

[Lutz]

The official answer from the DVLA is, yes, you do need 'L'-plates if you are towing a trailer and the combination weighs over 3.5 tonnes and you haven't passed the necessary B+E test. In that case, the same restrictions apply as with any provisional driving licence, i.e. you need someone sitting next to you who is over 21 and has held a B+E licence for at least 3 years. For more information call them at 0870 240 0009.

 

[BJ]

If your wife is new to towing, it will also be worth her while attending a course on towing. These are often run the the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravan club.