grandfather Driving rights

AndyMc.....

forgotmyname wrote: »

You can add the categories very easily, just take the appropriate tests.

They changed it because you could pass your test in a mini and then drive a 7.5ton vehicle the next day.

But plenty of people work driving 7.5ton vehicles and have done for many years and they cannot just take that away from them.

You can tow a trailer with the latest licence, yes there are restrictions but it doesnt really affect many drivers who load the trailer to a sensible limit to the towcar. Excludes those that want a 3 ton tank and tow a 3 ton trailer.

The actual permitted weight is 8.25 tonnes as you forgot to tell the OP about the trailer you can tow.

DCFC79

First world problems eh.

n217970

It does seem somewhat backwards that my elderly mother can perfectly legally drive a 7.5 tonne van and yet I cannot. I doubt she could climb into the cab.

peter_the_piper

Surely this is much ado about nothing. My licence covers me for car, van, motor bike, car+trailer. It used to cover for more but they were deleted when my licence was renewed due to age. Chances of me wanting to ride a bike now is slim, as is towing a trailer.I quite expect the van bit to be removed in 2019 at next renewal.

peter_the_piper

n217970 wrote: »

It does seem somewhat backwards that my elderly mother can perfectly legally drive a 7.5 tonne van and yet I cannot. I doubt she could climb into the cab.

Has your elderly mother had her licence renewed as you are supposed to do at 70? If so I think you will find that disappears then.

Norman_Castle

Older drivers get to keep these categories as they are adults.

n217970

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Has your elderly mother had her licence renewed as you are supposed to do at 70? If so I think you will find that disappears then.

No she has not reached that milestone yet.

AdrianC

Somebody in their 60s is hardly "elderly"...

There's a general principle of new legislation not being retrospective. So driving licence category changes are not retrospective. When the EU standardised categories started to apply to the UK in 1997, they were not retrospectively applied. The same has applied for subsequent directives.

Can you imagine the chaos if millions of drivers had suddenly had to take new tests to keep their jobs? Every 7.5t truck driver, every builder or farmer towing trailers... Then there's the knock-on effect to the leisure industries from everybody owning a caravan, everybody towing anything more than a little box trailer.

Aylesbury_Duck

AdrianC wrote: »

Can you imagine the chaos if millions of drivers had suddenly had to take new tests to keep their jobs? Every 7.5t truck driver, every builder or farmer towing trailers... Then there's the knock-on effect to the leisure industries from everybody owning a caravan, everybody towing anything more than a little box trailer.

Butbutbutbutbut, it’s not FAIR! OP wants to drive a minibus!!!!! If he can’t, then the government should be doing some think about it and all those professional drivers with outrageous categories should have to retrain*.

*presumably in such a way that the OP isn’t inconvenienced by having his parcel deliveries delayed. Or his local shop’s shelves being empty, etc, etc.

caprikid1

I have to say having pitched up to hire a box van for a recent move and be recently given a 7.5T Lorry that it was quite an experience.


The amount of gears , size plus air brakes even with 25 years driving experience of all manner of cars , Vans etc I found quite a shock.


Unfortunately you cannot just remove all the old people permissions but there are suitable laws in place to protect the man on the street.


Pick your rattles up and get on with life.