New Rules for Drivers who Passed Test after 1997

[Parksy]

The age renewal notice usually arrives some weeks before the the renewal date and it can be done when you have the letter.
I renewed my licence online and the licence came two days later.

 

[Buckman]

I read this in Showroom News on page 47 of Subscriber Issue 445 of Practical Caravan:

"The new rules, due to come into force later this year, mean anyone - not just people who passed their test before 1st January 1997 - will be allowed to to tow a trailer of up to 3500kg *MAM, regardless of how heavy their car is.
Currently, drivers who passed their test after that date but before 18th January 2018 are only allowed to tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no heavier than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and only up to a combined weight of 3500kg.
Those who gained their licence from 19th January 2013 only have to ensure the combined MAM of trailer and car is no more than 3500kg".

*MAM-Maximum Authorised Mass

I believe this to be an misleading statement which, if followed, could lead to people getting themselves into serious difficulties on the road and into court facing a hefty fine.
As far as I can see the first part of the statement is correct although the changes have been postponed once again.
However the bit that states "....will be allowed to to tow a trailer of up to 3500kg MAM, regardless of how heavy their car is." is surely incorrect?

I have searched the DVLA website for clarification but can find nothing definitive.
If indeed it is correct then it means that someone can quite legally hitch something like a Buccaneer Cruiser with an MTPLM of 1925kgs to a Toyota Aygo with a MAM of 1300kgs and be under the 3500kgs limit. I'm certain the car would struggle under such a load but hopefully you get my meaning.
Surely it will still be illegal to tow a trailer that exceeds the MAM, GVW or maximum permissable weight, whichever you prefer, of the towing vehicle.
To put it another way, surely the trailer must not weigh more than the towing vehicle.
Otherwise, I have horrible visions of "the tail wagging the dog" scenarios resulting in people coming to grief on our roads due totally miss-matched outfits.
To me the whole thing is confused and full of ambiguity.
Hopefully someone will enlighten me.
Thanks.

I think you are very confused. Not sure why you think any of the statement is incorrect. Many cars can legally tow a trailer weighing up to 3500kg as long as the train weight is not exceeded. However the driver needs to be in possession of a B+E driving licence. Our Jeep can legally tow a trailer up to 3500kg and as I have the B+E I am legal.
As it is only your second post are you looking for answers to another question?

 

[otherclive]

My wife has just renewed hers on line. There’s a question how long have you lived at this address. Followed by another if less than three years how many at the former address. Yet when we moved here 2 years and 6 months ago she re registered the new address and answered the identical question on how long at the former address. Is it a cunning memory assessment ?

 

[Buckman]

Seems a waste of time and money, but it needs to be renewed so that she can retain the B+E aspect although OH has never used it.

 

[Paullus1959]

I fully aware of the different towing capacities of different vehicles. I am the holder of a Class 1 LGV and PCV licence.
I was simply pointing out that the magazine article which states:
"....will be allowed to to tow a trailer of up to 3500kg MAM, regardless of how heavy their car is."
could lead to confusion by anyone taking that statement at face value and out of context and not checking other legal considerations.
Thank you.

 

[Buckman]

I fully aware of the different towing capacities of different vehicles. I am the holder of a Class 1 LGV and PCV licence.
I was simply pointing out that the magazine article which states:
"....will be allowed to to tow a trailer of up to 3500kg MAM, regardless of how heavy their car is."
could lead to confusion by anyone taking that statement at face value and out of context and not checking other legal considerations.
Thank you.

Unfortunately we are only forum members and have not control over what is printed in the magazine., If you feel the article is incorrectly worded, maybe write a letter to them detailing their mistakes?

 

[RogerL]

Seems a waste of time and money, but it needs to be renewed so that she can retain the B+E aspect although OH has never used it.

The BE retention isn't the issue - if she doesn't renew then she can't drive anything.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Quite simply the magazine is not the law and should not be taken as gospel. The onus is always on the driver to ensure they have the correct licence for the vehicle they are driving, and to make sure the vehicle complies with all regulations, including weight limits.

However the weasel words in the article are

"will be allowed to to tow a trailer of up to 3500kg " It does not say it has to be 3500kg.

 

[ProfJohnL]

There are presently three licence related threads running. Could the mods look to see if they can be combined to avoid crossovers and duplications.

 

[Parksy]

There are presently three licence related threads running. Could the mods look to see if they can be combined to avoid crossovers and duplications.

Good idea!
I've merged the threads.

 

[Buckman]

My original post was nothing to do with tests and new rules etc. It was regarding renewing a driving licence and then renewing it again 3 months later? Thankfully I got the answer before it disappeared into oblivion. LOL!

 

[Parksy]

My original post was nothing to do with tests and new rules etc. It was regarding renewing a driving licence and then renewing it again 3 months later? Thankfully I got the answer before it disappeared into oblivion. LOL!

It hasn't disappeared, it's now part of this current thread, so if you want to discuss your wife's licence renewal simply add your comment to this all encompassing driving licence topic and you will probably receive replies that are relevant to your comment.

 

[Buckman]

It hasn't disappeared, it's now part of this current thread, so if you want to discuss your wife's licence renewal simply add your comment to this all encompassing driving licence topic and you will probably receive replies that are relevant to your comment.

Thanks, but I have been given an answer so will try not to detract from the current thread whatever it is.

 

[Parksy]

Thanks, but I have been given an answer so will try not to detract from the current thread whatever it is.

So if you already received an answer, why bother to add further comments?
Please check forum rules about criticism of moderator actions, and adhere to the rules.

 

[otherclive]

Seems a waste of time and money, but it needs to be renewed so that she can retain the B+E aspect although OH has never used it.

The key thing to remember about renewal whether 10 years or 3 years if 70 or over is that you are required to confirm your continued suitability to drive. A legal undertaking so it’s not really a waste, although I suspect there are many who don’t stick to the rules. But it may catch up with them in the event if an accident. My wife was a bit undecided on the section that asked whether you need to wear glasses to drive. As her eyes more than meet the standard without glasses she answered No. So that in the event of an incident were she not wearing glasses that shouldn’t affect anything else. Her glasses are principally for reading with a distance section at the top. The distance section has virtually no prescription applied. Me I can see perfectly well for distance but the dash can be a bit iffy. So I tend always to wear varifocals. Wifey rarely if ever takes note of a dashboard 😂

 

[Buckman]

So if you already received an answer, why bother to add further comments?
Please check forum rules about criticism of moderator actions, and adhere to the rules.

I was not criticising at all. Just my weird sense of humour. Apologies if it was not appreciated.

 

[Parksy]

I was not criticising at all. Just my weird sense of humour. Apologies if it was not appreciated.

Absolutely no apology needed Buckman.
My response was a product of my own weird sense of humour 😉

 

[Buckman]

Absolutely no apology needed Buckman.
My response was a product of my own weird sense of humour 😉

Whew! I keep forgetting my sense of humour sometimes can be off putting. This is the problem with the Internet as you cannot see the other person 's facial expressions.

 

[otherclive]

OH has to renew her driving licence by January as it needs renewing every 10 years. However less than 4 months later she becomes of the age when you reach that milestone in life that you have to renew the driving licence anyway. Does this mean that she will need to renew the driving licence twice in one year?

My wife renewed hers on 10 November online. The new licence arrived today 13 November. It is valid for the period leading to her birthday in late January 2022 and thence for another three years. Not bad service.

 

[Thingy]

Looks like a u-turn going on. See https://www.gov.uk/email-signup/?link=/transport/towing

which quotes

The rules about what you can tow will not be changing on 15 November 2021. The change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible. Sign up for email alerts to be told when the new date is confirmed. You must continue to follow the current rules until the law changes.
The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your car driving test.
The rules will change later in 2021. The new rules will still depend on when you originally passed your car driving test.

 

[otherclive]

Looks like a u-turn going on. See https://www.gov.uk/email-signup/?link=/transport/towing

which quotes

The rules about what you can tow will not be changing on 15 November 2021. The change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible. Sign up for email alerts to be told when the new date is confirmed. You must continue to follow the current rules until the law changes.
The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your car driving test.
The rules will change later in 2021. The new rules will still depend on when you originally passed your car driving test.

In post #10 there is a link to the All Party 2019 report on trailer safety. It was at a time when noises were being made about registration or testing of trailers. The conclusions were that the majority of trailer accidents were not caused by vehicle defects, they were the result of people failings. As such the recommendations were that there was absolutely no cost benefit in introducing registration or testing of vehicles. But DVSA and other parties did undertake to examine ways in which the people aspects could be improved. This u turn completely back tracks on their undertaking for reasons that go completely against the recommendations of the report that they supported. It’s a panacea for ameliorating the problem of HGV drivers yet on this Forum Ade has been waiting 4 months to have his licence renewed when he meets all of the requirements.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

And STILL waiting🤬

 

[Thingy]

Ade

Can i recommend that you find out who the current chief exec is and write direct to him. Its how i git my own issues sorted out in the end. It really does light a fire under them.

 

[Raywood]

From dealing with accident claims my impression is that towing accidents where the driver is at fault are so small that the extra test was simply not justified. The drivers who do have the accidents are usually the ones who speed and take risks and passing a test would make no real difference. The test does not make those people better drivers any more than the standard test does. It means you know how to drive, but does not make a dangerous driver any better.

 

[Dustydog]

How much isall this U turning costing? My son has had a tow bar fitted so he can caravan . The revised Law expected on 15.11 was welcome. I really don’t understand the postponement. People willing to spend money on getting ready to tow clearly will want to do it properly . The current test proves nothing