When did you Pass your driving test?

[ProfJohnL]

A number of posts have recently been made where the posters have stated they are new to caravanning. Whilst they have not indicated when they passed their driving test, there is an increasing chance that they may have done so after January 1997 when your entitlement to drive was changed.

Unfortunately no major government campaigning was made to emphasise the detail of the changes and how it affects caravanning, so I am confident that many younger people may have taken up caravanning based on what their parents may have done in the past, without realising that the rules may have changed for them.

I urge all caravanners who have only been driving for 13years or less to check their licences and their outfits.

The critical difference relates to category B. This now only entitles you to drive a motor vehicle (or motor vehicle with braked trailer) with a combined MAM of only 3500Kg, and the MAM of the trailer must be less than the unladen weight of the car

MAM stands for Maximum Authorised Mass, and the less well understood bit is that it means the absolute maximum mass or weight the vehicle is designed to be, not what it actually weighs which could be quite a lot less.

If you find you are over the limits, then you must either change your outfit, or consider taking the additional +E test for trailers. This will then give you cat B+E and the same limits as your forefathers who automatically were entitled to Cat BE

It is worth noting that if you are driving an outfit that you are not entitled to drive, you do not have insurance cover and are open to prosecution.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi john.

I passed my test on the 16th june 1965 so I should be allright then??.:O)

thing is you are obviously gened up on the licence laws so whats this about grandad rights I heard so much about?.

my licence is still the old green type with only 3 groups A.D.E. I was going to change it to a photo type a few years ago but was told some of the new groups go missing when you do so I never bothered because it doesn't run out untill 2017 but the photo ones only last 10 years.

 

[NickinFrance]

I passed my test well before 1997 but is it possible to just take a test to extend a B license to B+E, without having to pay the silly fee for a course ?

 

[Steve L]

I'm a younster then Colin, I passed my car and motorcycle tests in 1977 and 1976 respectively.

I realy do wish the DSA (driving standards agencey) would get their act's together and actually issue info with license renwals/issues. This would inform all people of their entitlements.

Another thing they do is ("accidentally") remove entitlements that people are genuinely entitled to drive in the catagory. A typical example is car & motorcycle entitlement like mine, when I have to update my photo card license by October, I will take photo copies of the old ones before I send them in as evidence of entitlement. But if genuine entitlement is taken off un-necessarily, I will still have to re-take a test at my cost of coarse, to re-gain what I am entitled too anyway.

I wonder how many people actually check that?

Also when did you pass your test John?

All the best.

Steve L.

 

[terence1]

well then Colin-Yorkshire,..i think i can say that i beat you on the date for passing the car driving test,..you see i passed mine in the summer of 1964 and i remember it well,that was the year i came up trumps on the pools and won the princly sum of

 

[602]

Hi,

Once upon a time, insurance companies used the term "HOLDS OR HAS HELD A LICENCE TO DRIVE". I always assumed that a provisional licence fell into that catergory. I'm guessing that if you passed your test after 1997, you still have provisional entitlement to tow vehicles over 3500kgMAM ???? OK, I wouldn't want to discuss this with "The Beak", but neither would I want somebody I have just crippled to live the rest of his life without benefit of my insurance. Discuss!

When you grow wrinkly, there is an inceasing chance that His Worship will hit you with "DISQUALIFIED TILL TEST PASS", perhaps indicating that he feels you are no longer fit to drive. This penalty effectively reduces you to the rank of Learner Driver, gives you a chance to prove you are still fit to drive. BUT .... if you drive without L plates, or accompanied by a licence holding instructor, you are not complying with the conditions of your provisional licence, so you are DRIVING WHILE DISQUALIFIED. Uninsured!

Photocopy everything that you send to DVLA. Or better still, before sending them your driving licence, get a copy of your driving record, as held on the computer. Unfortunately, it costs

 

[ProfJohnL]

A tricky one, 602,

From the last time I renewed my car insurance the question was "when did you pass your test" which seems to exclude the provisional consideration from the point of view of insurance risk - mainly because the drive has to be supervised, and is theretofore less likely to have an incident.

I believe it is a requirement that that a provisional driver can only be supervised by a person that already holds the entitlement, and that where provision is made for passengers in the vehicle the supervisor must travel with the provisional driver under instruction, so that somewhat blocks your idea.

Incidentally, it would be wise to advise your insurance company that you are intending to take the B+E test, and of course advise them when you pass. With your official additional training and skills the company may actually consider you to be a lower risk!

 

[ProfJohnL]

I passed my test well before 1997 but is it possible to just take a test to extend a B license to B+E, without having to pay the silly fee for a course ?

Hello Nick,

As with all driving tests you need to fulfil the requirements set out by the Driving Standards Agency for the entitlement.

As far as I know there is no requirement for evidence of training for the B+E test, so in theory you could just take the test, but be warned, it is apparently based on an HGV test, and that might require more than just a cursory knowledge.

 

[ProfJohnL]

hi john.

I passed my test on the 16th june 1965 so I should be allright then??.:O)

thing is you are obviously gened up on the licence laws so whats this about grandad rights I heard so much about?.

my licence is still the old green type with only 3 groups A.D.E. I was going to change it to a photo type a few years ago but was told some of the new groups go missing when you do so I never bothered because it doesn't run out untill 2017 but the photo ones only last 10 years.

Hello colin,

Sorry to disappoint,

I'm not fully genned up on the Licence laws, only certain parts which are in fact fully accessible to anyone on the DirectGov site.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/index.htm
Don't quote me but I believe that Grandfather entitlements remain in force until either the licence expires, or a driver is banned by a the courts, or any new legislation that removes grandfather entitlements.

Licences automatically expire at age 70, and to retain all the prior entitlement you have to effectively reapply, and maybe even take relevant tests.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I'm a younster then Colin, I passed my car and motorcycle tests in 1977 and 1976 respectively.

I realy do wish the DSA (driving standards agencey) would get their act's together and actually issue info with license renwals/issues. This would inform all people of their entitlements.

Another thing they do is ("accidentally") remove entitlements that people are genuinely entitled to drive in the catagory. A typical example is car & motorcycle entitlement like mine, when I have to update my photo card license by October, I will take photo copies of the old ones before I send them in as evidence of entitlement. But if genuine entitlement is taken off un-necessarily, I will still have to re-take a test at my cost of coarse, to re-gain what I am entitled too anyway.

I wonder how many people actually check that?

Also when did you pass your test John?

All the best.

Steve L.

1975

 

[602]

From the last time I renewed my car insurance the question was "when did you pass your test" which seems to exclude the provisional consideration from the point of view of insurance risk.

I believe it is a requirement that that a provisional driver can only be supervised by a person that already holds the entitlement, and that where provision is made for passengers in the vehicle the supervisor must travel with the provisional driver under instruction,

Hi John L.

My comment about "HOLDS OR HAS HELD......" referred to the details listed on the insurance CERTIFICATE, under "persons entitled to drive". I can't remember, last time I looked, if it still appears. I am not suggesting that this is legal ..... but it MIGHT keep you insured.

Yes, the "supervisor" must HOLD the relevent licence, not be disqualified or unable to hold a licence for medical reasons. Note, a Test-pass certificate allows you to drive as though you have a full licence ...... but not supervise a learner. Nowadays there are restrictions on young/newly qualified drivers acting as supervisors.

Many years ago, there was mention in the Press, about the police stopping Young Prince Charles, cos his supervisor (Duke of Edinborough) was sitting in a back seat.

If a MOTOR CAR does not have seats for a passenger, it cannot be driven by a learner .... he MUST be supervised. But circa 50 years ago, a magazine reported the case of a learner driving a Reliant (?) three wheeler without being supervised. His defence was that the trike was NOT a motor car (motor cars have 4 or more wheels), and it was also a VAN so did not have, and never had, a passenger seat. He produced a letter from the manufacturers to confirm that. NOT GUILTY!

When I was a lad, at least until the 1960s, you could ride a motor cycle and sidecar on a provisional licence, with junior on the pillion, and mum with two kids in the side car. I kid you not. Some nasty man changed all that. Doh!

A solo biker, could carry a passenger, but only if he held a full bike licence. Not any longer. Spoilsports!

In the mid-1930s, my dad paid five shillings for a FULL licence which covered him for ALL GROUPS. Then he bought a car and taught himself how to drive it.

602

 

[Steve L]

Hi 602.

Yes going back to the late 70's a motor cycle license holder could drive a three wheeler on his/her bike qualification.

I test drove a Reliant Robin for my mate back then and frightened my self to death. I forgot about the lack of two wheels up front and whipped the car round in a junction just how I used to in my Cooper S. Boy wasn't I glad I did a right turn as my weight only just countered the urge for the plastic pig to turn turtle.

Funny how we don't see many on the roads today. Perhaps too many sharp left turns.

Steve L.

 

[hgv dave]

hi steve

the reason that you dont see reliant 3 wheelers on the road anymore is because they dont make them anymore.....the factory in staffordshire has been pulled down for a few years.....i dont think many people were buying them

hgv dave

 

[602]

Hi,

A few years ago, I wrote to the MD of Reliant, pointing out that somebody with a bike licence could also drive a QUADRICYCLE. We had a bit of correspondence, in which I asked him to start making "road going" quads. He said he understood where I was coming from, as he had such a machine on his farm.

No, he didn't start making quads ...... he started to import Axiams from france. Doh!

In the UK, a QUADRICYCLE has four wheels, but weighs less than 550kg (Citroen 2CV? Lotus 7? But NOT a Caterham 7). In France, there are also restrictions on the powere of the engine, 15KW, I think. ????

But if you passed your bike test after 1997 (?) you are restricted to 2, or possibly 3, wheels.

602

 

[Stetus3]

Hey, this is an interesting post. Well, I did pass my driving test last year and best part was that I was able to pass that in first attempt. I passed it because of best driving training. I had joined most popular Port Macquarie Driving School for my basic and advanced driving lessons.