Celebration towing?

[Shabz]

Anyone else far too excited to now be allowed to tow 3500kg now?
I got an email from the government the other day to tell me that they’ve now changed the law and I can tow my little heart out.
I told my wife it was the second best day of my life and she was not happy.

I thought I might hire a huge Ifor trailer for a few days for the craic.

 

[Alantoo]

Which law have they changed?

I have always been able to tow 3500kg it is why I bought the old Discovery.

Alan

 

[Pedro]

Depends on when you passed your test. Old fogeys have it automatically on their license but from some year I can't remember now, trailers were restricted to the smaller ones when you passed your test unless you took a separate trailer test. But they've now relaxed that and anyone with a full license can tow up to 3500kg.

Someone will I guess be along shortly to fill in the details, but that's the gist of it.

 

[Shabz]

If you passed before 1997 then there’s no change but if you passed after then, you had to take a separate test to tow. They’ve just given everyone a pass for that test.

You can drive a 7500kg vehicle but I can’t and you can also drive a vehicle with more than 8 seats, I can’t. Those things haven’t been changed.

 

[User00040]

Can't wait to see how many idiots get stuck reversing or find out they can't fit round a tight corner...

 

[Alantoo]

Towing with a car

Towing trailers, caravans and horseboxes with a car, including the weight and size limits, and what licence you need to have

www.gov.uk

Yes just looked it up.

So now we can look forward to even larger piles of matchwood, glass and fibre glass panels when someone gets speed wobble and jackknifes their 3,500kg caravan on the motorway!

Alan

 

[doric_prince]

As a chap just under 40, and one who last year was considering taking the trailer test, happy about this change. Didn’t see the sense in this law, not much you can’t tow with 750kg gross weight.

 

[SimpleSimon]

As a chap just under 40, and one who last year was considering taking the trailer test, happy about this change. Didn’t see the sense in this law, not much you can’t tow with 750kg gross weight.

You could always tow over 750kg, you just couldn't exceed a combination weight of over 3500kg. I.e 2.5 ton vehicle towing 1000kg, for example.

As somebody who has a trailer licence and tows more or less daily, I'm really skeptical as to the point of removing the need for a test. I'm also a bit miffed that what was previously a valid additional skill I could offer to employers is now worthless.

 

[starr shot]

I thought I seen an article in the shooting times saying the government has had a rethink and it’s not happening now. All the testing staff have been relocated so there isn’t anybody to do the tests.

 

[starr shot]

Just found it and it says .Changes to the law that would have allowed anyone with a car licence to tow up to 3,500 kgs without taking an additional test have been withdrawn.This happened on about the 20/11/2021.

 

[glasshalffull]

Possibly the testing requirement has been removed to free up the testing centers due to the pandemic bottlenecks dearth of truck drivers etc etc

 

[starr shot]

Possibly the testing requirement has been removed to free up the testing centers due to the pandemic bottlenecks dearth of truck drivers etc etc

Could be.Just read up on it and it does state you can now drive/tow.

 

[starr shot]

Keep your eyes out now for vehicles and trailers jackknifed and swaying all over the roads.

 

[Pete6.5]

Keep your eyes out now for vehicles and trailers jackknifed and swaying all over the roads.

Is that what it was like pre test?

 

[starr shot]

Is that what it was like pre test?

Yes.That’s why the Goverment intoduced tests and training.

 

[Morkai]

Can't wait to see how many idiots get stuck reversing or find out they can't fit round a tight corner...

Ive always found bigger trailers far easier to reverse than the tiny halfords wheel barrow trailers people have always been allowed to tow.

 

[deerstalker.308]

You could always tow over 750kg, you just couldn't exceed a combination weight of over 3500kg. I.e 2.5 ton vehicle towing 1000kg, for example.

As somebody who has a trailer licence and tows more or less daily, I'm really skeptical as to the point of removing the need for a test. I'm also a bit miffed that what was previously a valid additional skill I could offer to employers is now worthless.

Just because it’s now not mandatory doesn’t mean employers may not still want to or appreciate seeing training for it. Like you I did the test, personally I think there was very good justification for the threshold, a lot can go wrong with heavy loads and inexperience, there is a world of difference when the brakes on a heavy trailer kick in versus the little box trailer for trips to the tip…
I feel for those who’s sole business was in delivering the training for B+E, albeit most offered other driver training but still.

 

[doric_prince]

You could always tow over 750kg, you just couldn't exceed a combination weight of over 3500kg. I.e 2.5 ton vehicle towing 1000kg, for example.

As somebody who has a trailer licence and tows more or less daily, I'm really skeptical as to the point of removing the need for a test. I'm also a bit miffed that what was previously a valid additional skill I could offer to employers is now worthless.

Yes correct, so long as you obided by the MAM Rule not actual gross weight towed. Its all changed now however previously my understanding was;

If you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997​

Anyone who got their driving licence on or after 1 January 1997 is subject to a higher level of restrictions when it comes to what sort of trailer you can tow. You can…

• > Drive a car or van that weighs up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
• > Tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

in my own situation my car has a MAM of 3500kgs already, and thus was caught by the second bullet, so practically I couldn’t tow a trailer with a MAM greater than 750kg.

 

[glasshalffull]

Could be.Just read up on it and it does state you can now drive/tow.

Aye and talking to a car mechanic yesterday when he mentioned that MOT's were to be extended to 18mnths to alleviate backlog? My dogcart (wee Toyota) mot ran out in Nov nearest appointment was march and was told legal to drive and insured as long as I've evidence for booking. Now that's NI not mainland

 

[FrenchieBoy]

I would have to wonder at the wisdom of allowing a new and inexperienced driver to be allowed to tow such weights without some sort of training.
It doesn't effect me as I passed my test way back in November 1968 (When I was just 17) in a 3 ton waggon and later went on to get trained and pass my test in an HGV Group 2 vehicle (Multi Axle Rigid) - I believe that the groups have changed a little nowadays.
I used to drive hay and straw waggons with a 4 wheel drag (Front wheel steering trailer) in my "Younger Days" - It was sometimes quite fun reversing them round smaller farm yards, the trick was to uncouple the drag and turn the wagon round and then front couple the drag on the old Scania 80 that I was driving - (Very much the same way as the showmen do with their fairground waggons and large trailers). I suspect I could still reverse one without hitting anything now if I put my mind to it!