UK New rules for towing a trailer or caravan with a car from autumn 2021

[SuperV8]

For information the UK are changing the rules for towing if you passed your test after Sept 1997.
Currently you (& me!) are limited to 3500kg MAM (maximum allowed mass) of both the car and trailer. You used to need to take a B+E test to tow a trailer upto 3500kg.
Well they are scrapping this additional test and giving everyone B+E entitlement automatically - to give more testing capacity to training lorry drivers!

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

 

[martin j.]

I didn’t believe a friends son when told me he was sitting a trailer test, I got a list of entitlements to drive with my full licence in ‘75, never driven a road roller and the only tracked machine were tunnelling machines were down the pit at work. I could have done with some help learning to reverse a car trailer though, much trial and error there.

 

[niallain]

Utterly ridiculous change.

The UK has some of the safest roads in the world, and we're throwing out a much needed test which ensures that people understand how towing differs from driving a car normally.

This isn't the place for a politics discussion, but it's another failure from the Conservative government that still won't fix the problem of a HGV driver shortage.

 

[SuperV8]

Personally speaking it's always 'annoyed' me that I missed out on the trailer towing on my licence by a couple of months - I spent my childhood driving and towing with my dads old Series III Landy and builders trailer on private land reversing down long, winding drives so i'm quite happy with trailers.

I agree that it opens the 'flood gates' to 'idiots' but to be honest I think said idiots wouldn't care/ or even know about what they can tow.

The current regulations are dubious/confusing anyway - currently I can legally tow a 1600kg trailer with my Leon and be just about on the 3500kg MAM, and I can also 'only' tow a small camping trailer with a RangeRover - now which is the safest rig!

I think there needs to be more personal responsibility - If you feel you need help/training than you can still have a training. If you don't and you cause an accident then throw the book at you.