Trailer freedom day.

[doobin]

It’s today. It’s official.

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

 

[JD450A]

 

[Lancs Lad]

I'm applying for a refund

 

[JD450A]

I'm applying for a refund

To Whom it may concern.

I wish to enquire on the prospect of a Refund and compensation for the Hardship encountered due to the requirement of my generation to hold a B+E License to Tow a trailer?

 

[Smiffy]

Careful lads 7 o'clock tomorrow morning the roads will be strewn with trailers flipped and on there side.
Every road from landsend to John ogroats will be impassable due to people unable to reverse there caravans.



Or nothing will happen and we will all carry on as before

 

[Maxus]

Every accident with a trailer will now be blamed on this! Why would the politicians do this? How is ot going to help them? I can't really see how this is going to boost the economy in a meaningful way.

The plus side for me is a labourer insured on my vehicle can now collect materials.... which is actually quite a scary prospect.

 

[DaveDCB]

What’s worrying is the test was pretty strict, to go from needing it oneday to not the next is just baffling really. Hopefully people who are clueless don’t just hitch up a horse box and go for it!

 

[pettsy]

Hopefully people who are clueless don’t just hitch up a horse box and go for it!

Will be just like the horsey lot out in 7.5t’s having never done a test.

 

[Storrsy]

What’s worrying is the test was pretty strict, to go from needing it oneday to not the next is just baffling really. Hopefully people who are clueless don’t just hitch up a horse box and go for it!

I'm just glad I broke the rules and towed 3.5t for 7 years before doing my trailer test- feel justified now

 

[Hg2702]

I'm just glad I broke the rules and towed 3.5t for 7 years before doing my trailer test- feel justified now

Call it work experience

 

[DaveDCB]

I'm just glad I broke the rules and towed 3.5t for 7 years before doing my trailer test- feel justified now

Glad I got afew years in after my test.. like you I never bothered for a long time.. wish I hadn’t either now

 

[Grahams]

What’s worrying is the test was pretty strict, to go from needing it oneday to not the next is just baffling really. Hopefully people who are clueless don’t just hitch up a horse box and go for it!

I would have thought most people didn't know you had to have a separate test anyway, especially non commercial. They have seen their parents just hitch up the horse box or caravan and they have just done the same.
When I had just passed my driving test my dad was busy in the garden and told me to take the trailer to the sand quay and get a load of sand so I did. Didn't have a clue, but soon realised that I had better go somewhere quiet and practice so I didn't get myself stuck. It's the people who don't realise they don't know what they are doing who are the danger as they will never learn.

 

[Lancs Lad]

I would have thought most people didn't know you had to have a separate test anyway, especially non commercial. They have seen their parents just hitch up the horse box or caravan and they have just done the same.
When I had just passed my driving test my dad was busy in the garden and told me to take the trailer to the sand quay and get a load of sand so I did. Didn't have a clue, but soon realised that I had better go somewhere quiet and practice so I didn't get myself stuck. It's the people who don't realise they don't know what they are doing who are the danger as they will never learn.

Didn't you know that a flash horsebox van allows you to do 20mph max on most roads apart from roundabouts where you drop to 15....

 

[Justme]

Every accident with a trailer will now be blamed on this! Why would the politicians do this? How is ot going to help them? I can't really see how this is going to boost the economy in a meaningful way.

The plus side for me is a labourer insured on my vehicle can now collect materials.... which is actually quite a scary prospect.

After giving his suitable training & speaking to your insurers.

Insurance underwriters are up in arms re this.

They are looking at loading premiums and or insisting on having taken the accredited scheme once it is available.

 

[Justme]

What’s worrying is the test was pretty strict, to go from needing it oneday to not the next is just baffling really. Hopefully people who are clueless don’t just hitch up a horse box and go for it!

Never mind all those people that failed the test as they were dangerous that can now legally tow.

Nationally about 30% fail AFTER having taken training.
How many would fail with no training?
In my experience it is very rare to get a client that could have passed with no training at all.
The few there have been have recently had other driver training of some sort.

 

[V8Druid]

View attachment 30478

Haldon???

 

[Smiffy]

Never mind all those people that failed the test as they were dangerous that can now legally tow.

Nationally about 30% fail AFTER having taken training.
How many would fail with no training?
In my experience it is very rare to get a client that could have passed with no training at all.
The few there have been have recently had other driver training of some sort.

People may fail but are they actually dangerous what they expect you to drive like in the test is far from reality.
If I drove to test standards I would still be trying to pull out the yard. To use those fails without giving the breakdown of the reasons for the fail is a waste of time when talking about dangerous driving.

 

[Justme]

People may fail but are they actually dangerous what they expect you to drive like in the test is far from reality.
If I drove to test standards I would still be trying to pull out the yard. To use those fails without giving the breakdown of the reasons for the fail is a waste of time when talking about dangerous driving.

Ok number one reason for test fails.....

Pulling out in front of some one at a junction / roundabout.
When you think that 39% of accidents are for failing to look properly at a junction which results in you pulling out in front of some one that seems conclusive to me.

Not sure of its number but failing to check the trailer is securely attached features highly as does not ensuring the trailer is safe to go on the road.
I am sure you would agree that both of these are dangerous & if you cant do the simple basics then you should not be on the road.

ps I drive as you should at all times (or at least I try too) yet I make good effective progress.

pps, over the last 6 years I have had two clients I would not allow them to use a shopping trolley never mind a car or trailer combo.

 

[Lancs Lad]

Ok...how about this.
Wouldn't it have made sense to offer a simplified trailer only test?
Mine was basically 10 mins in the yard absolute doddle. ...the rest was basically just a full driving test hardly mentioned trailer ...surely they could run just the hitching,reversing bit if that's such a worry about folk forgetting the breakaway etc?

 

[Smiffy]

Ok number one reason for test fails.....

Pulling out in front of some one at a junction / roundabout.
When you think that 39% of accidents are for failing to look properly at a junction which results in you pulling out in front of some one that seems conclusive to me.

Not sure of its number but failing to check the trailer is securely attached features highly as does not ensuring the trailer is safe to go on the road.
I am sure you would agree that both of these are dangerous & if you cant do the simple basics then you should not be on the road.

ps I drive as you should at all times (or at least I try too) yet I make good effective progress.

pps, over the last 6 years I have had two clients I would not allow them to use a shopping trolley never mind a car or trailer combo.

Pulling out at a junction is one of the things I talking about.
In a test you have to wait until it's completely clear it's not acceptable to boot it and make a vehicle a mile off let off the throttle. So by saying not looking your being a bit overdramatic. When in reality I bet a very small proportion of those would actually cause an accident in the real world.
Checking it's securely attached again is slightly over dramatized in the test as opposed to what actually needs doing.
And trailer checks are entirely open to interpretation by the examiner. Yes you can be very thorough for test purposes but what would be a perfectly good check on a trailer you own could fail you under certain examiners.

I think there should be a trailer test but the one there was was pointless anyway.
The reversing and trailer loading i.e. the most important parts of trailer work are completely neglected. Instead focusing on driving fowards when a trailer literally follows you