16 Year old Tractor driver stopped by Police

Rowland · Jan 25, 2022

Last night on TV Chanel 5 or 4 the was a traffic police program on and one of the features was a very tidy looking bigish JD and a dump trailer getting stopped. Cop asked driver how old ? 16 , do you have a license? Yes , how much is in the trailer ? about 20 ton(weather it includes the trailer or not I don’t know)
He got a warning for no number plate on the trailer and for not having a net over the load of what looked like builders rubble to me . It looked ok to me .

7610 super q · Jan 25, 2022

At least the lad is keen.

ewald · Jan 25, 2022

The lad was lucky - just shows that the police don't have much idea about ag vehicles on the road - if he had a number plate and a net on the load he wouldn't have been pulled at all.
It was probably not agricultural soil - so he could have been done for red diesel, no operators licence, overweight and illegal trailer (for a 16 year old) - he and his employer have escaped very lightly

Bald Rick · Jan 25, 2022

I’m surprise they didn’t arrest him, call him a terrorist, strip search him and then comment on his body hair and stinking underwear

Works for the Met

Bobthebuilder · Jan 25, 2022

It’s been mentioned in here before as it was a repeat

Rowland · Jan 25, 2022

ewald said:
The lad was lucky - just shows that the police don't have much idea about ag vehicles on the road - if he had a number plate and a net on the load he wouldn't have been pulled at all.
It was probably not agricultural soil - so he could have been done for red diesel, no operators licence, overweight and illegal trailer (for a 16 year old) - he and his employer have escaped very lightly

Employer was his Dad

Cab-over Pete · Jan 25, 2022

He had no number plate, no net, the trailer was over the legal gross weight, the “biggish” tractor was almost certainly too wide for a 16 year old and the trailer must have been a tandem axle which is illegal at that age.

I would say he was very lucky, very ignorant and his dad very stupid.

Lakesdigger · Jan 25, 2022

Cab-over Pete said:
He had no number plate, no net, the trailer was over the legal gross weight, the “biggish” tractor was almost certainly too wide for a 16 year old and the trailer must have been a tandem axle which is illegal at that age.

I would say he was very lucky, very ignorant and his dad very stupid.

You're allowed two axles on trailer at 16 as long as they are close coupled (tandem).

Banana Bar · Jan 25, 2022

Lakesdigger said:
You're allowed two axles on trailer at 16 as long as they are close coupled (tandem).

Check the measurements and come back to me. You’ll find that the distance between the 2 axles is the critical bit, an Ifor Williams stock trailer would be fine a twin axle grain trailer isn’t. I discovered this too late.

Cab-over Pete · Jan 25, 2022

Yes, but it’s a maximum of something like a metre, maybe less, that rules out virtually anything except the smallest tandem axle Ifor Williams or similar. It certainly doesn’t include anything fit for a tractor

Wombat · Jan 25, 2022

Lakesdigger said:
You're allowed two axles on trailer at 16 as long as they are close coupled (tandem).

Yes but i am sure there is a statement somewhere the close coupled cannot be more and than something like 840mm which basic means an ifor williams

Wombat · Jan 25, 2022

To be honest this whole driving modern tractors when you are 16 rubbish should just be stopped and it moved to the same as a car at 17

Lakesdigger · Jan 25, 2022

Wombat said:
Yes but i am sure there is a statement somewhere the close coupled cannot be more and than something like 840mm which basic means an ifor williams

You may be right but I've never seen mention of a specific distance only "close coupled".

Cab-over Pete · Jan 25, 2022

There are lots of handy jobs good young drivers can do at 16 as long as they are capable. Trailers up to about 8 tonne can have a single axle, many mounted implements aren’t too big or heavy and because of the width restrications it rules out anything over about 100hp anyway.

But for modern even average sized kit, forget it.

Cab-over Pete · Jan 25, 2022

Lakesdigger said:
You may be right but I've never seen mention of a specific distance only "close coupled".

There is definitely a specific distance and it’s certainly not even one metre.

Wombat · Jan 25, 2022

Lakesdigger said:
You may be right but I've never seen mention of a specific distance only "close coupled".

I think the close-coupled length is specified in the construction and use regulations or one of these sub rules, same as the max weights are

Lakesdigger · Jan 25, 2022

Wombat said:
I think the close-coupled length is specified in the construction and use regulations or one of these sub rules, same as the max weights are

Could be but wouldn't it be a good idea if a few more basic regs were on the gov website as very few will look into any further.

Phil P · Jan 25, 2022

Fw article on regs for 16 year olds -

Tractor driving - the law for 16-year-olds - Farmers Weekly

Suffolk PC Mark Bryant has reminded farmers to check which machinery items their 16-year-old workers can legally drive on the road. Holders of the

www.fwi.co.uk

Exfarmer · Jan 25, 2022

We have the main man on here @Simon Chiles he knows the definitive.

Ivorbiggun · Jan 25, 2022

So his trailer weighed 20 tons, tractor would weigh 8/9 tons irrespective of the laws can no body see this as totally unacceptable for a 16 year old. When will people learn. Personally I wouldn’t put a 16 year in charge of anything other than a wheel barrow.

16 Year old Tractor driver stopped by Police

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