Driving over the age of 70

[Shovelhands]

I'm not at this stage yet, but father was 70 last year, and is just in the process of renewing his license.
Surprisingly, for him anyway , he's read the renewal form properly. On the back it says if you want to retain the right to drive a vehicle or combination over the MAM of 3.5t (or wording to that effect) then you will need to fill out further forms and have a medical! Which he has done, but is furious, as he let his HGV go as he couldn't be bothered with the medical every time, but is back in the same situation just to tow a trailer.
After speaking to friends of a similar age, who have renewed their licences, it appears some have possibly fallen foul of this and have lost the automatic right to go over 3.5t on a standard licence.

Just thought I'd post this to make people aware, who may not have previously know about this, there must be lots of people involved in farming who are at this age and still very actively driving the farm truck and towing ect, or maybe retired and tow a vintage tractor to ploughing matches ect.

This is how we read the form, and I hope I'm not miss leading anyone, please read the form is all I'm saying , it's easy to see the form come through the post, fill it out and send it off, unknowingly loosing this entitlement
And despit having the entitlement on your old license, they don't send the required forms to you with your renewal, you must get these from the post office, possibly download them, but father got his from the PO. So they don't make it simple!

Hope this helps someone

 

[Steevo]

I think towing a trailer is fine. You just lose the additional 7.5t categories etc that you'd need a medical and/or CPC for.

 

[joe soapy]

thanks for that, next year for me

 

[Shovelhands]

I think towing a trailer is fine. You just lose the additional 7.5t categories etc that you'd need a medical and/or CPC for.

Not how we read it.
It say you need to complete the extra forms and medical to go over 3.5t.

I will try n get a pic of the wording on the form.

Read the form is all I'm saying

 

[Drillman]

Not how we read it.
It say you need to complete the extra forms and medical to go over 3.5t.

I will try n get a pic of the wording on the form.

Read the form is all I'm saying

That's how we understood it as well when parents reached 70. Old fella never bothered. I do all the towing and my truck is currently the only motor with a tow hitch on it.

 

[Shovelhands]

That's how we understood it a simple well when parents reached 70. Old fella never bothered. I do all the towing and my truck is currently the only motor with a tow hitch on it.

Each to their own, many may not bother, thats fair enough, but dad isn't ready to give up towing just yet, and I don't want him to
As I said in my op, there's also the folks who may be towing for recreational purposes, vintage tractors ect, would be annoying to find out you couldn't do that sort of thing! After years of it just being automatically on your license, would be easy and understandable to assume is still there when you renew.

 

[Old McDonald]

After speaking to friends of a similar age, who have renewed their licences, it appears some have possibly fallen foul of this and have lost the automatic right to go over 3.5t on a standard licence.

I believe it is an EU edict. When I reached 70 (May 2014) my UK licence expired and I had to obtain a Portuguese one - medical and psychiatric assessment required. The Portuguese authorities refused to issue me with anything other than authority to drive a car and other vehicles under 3.5t. I obtained info from DVLA showing I had up to 7.5t licences. Nothing doing.

Ironically, and expensively, because I applied for my licence prior to my UK one expiring, the Portuguese made the new licence expire the day before I reached 70. It was issued 4 months after I reached 70. Pulled up on a routine check and fined €120 for not having a valid licence. Sneaky so and sos do not put the expiry date on the front of the licence - 4b, so there is no indication when your licence expires.

My solicitor cannot get clearance for me to drive +3.5t. I am not even certain that I have a licence to drive a tractor. Tractor + trailer could easily top 3.5t.

 

[Shovelhands]

I believe it is an EU edict. When I reached 70 (May 2014) my UK licence expired and I had to obtain a Portuguese one - medical and psychiatric assessment required. The Portuguese authorities refused to issue me with anything other than authority to drive a car and other vehicles under 3.5t. I obtained info from DVLA showing I had up to 7.5t licences. Nothing doing.

Ironically, and expensively, because I applied for my licence prior to my UK one expiring, the Portuguese made the new licence expire the day before I reached 70. It was issued 4 months after I reached 70. Pulled up on a routine check and fined €120 for not having a valid licence. Sneaky so and sos do not put the expiry date on the front of the licence - 4b, so there is no indication when your licence expires.

My solicitor cannot get clearance for me to drive +3.5t. I am not even certain that I have a licence to drive a tractor. Tractor + trailer could easily top 3.5t.

Sounds like a complete fiasco , and a real bummer

 

[Simon Chiles]

I am not even certain that I have a licence to drive a tractor. Tractor + trailer could easily top 3.5t.

I know that not all EU countries give you an automatic license to drive a tractor when you pass a car test but surely if you have an entitlement on your European License then it allows you to drive that category in all countries.

 

[TheTallGuy]

Yep, you have to apply to retain the +E entitlement on your license at 70 - dad's driving wasn't up to a good enough standard so we didn't let him apply to keep +E or C1.

 

[Steevo]

What happens to my driving entitlements when I reach 70?

At age 70, driving licences expire and must be renewed every three years thereafter. From 1998, new drivers have been required to pass additional tests for categories B+E, C1, C1+E, D1 and D1+E but existing holders of a general car licence at that date were effectively given ‘grandfather’ rights to the new categories until renewal. These ‘grandfather’ rights, however, are not renewed automatically, so if you wish to retain them after 70, you must ask to do so and will need to provide a medical certificate with the renewal request. (A medical certificate is not required for categories B + E alone).

http://bristoloda.org/newboda/?p=1227

 

[Steevo]

http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/commun...ence-regulations-when-you-reach-70-years-old/

and also:

YOUR DRIVING ENTITLEMENT ON RENEWING AT THE AGE OF 70
On reaching the age of 70, drivers will retain their driving entitlement for Category B and Category B+E (provided Category B+E was held prior to the expiry date of their driving licence). Category B+E entitles drivers to drive a motor vehicle (ie car, van or 4x4) not exceeding 3.5 tonnes Maximum Authorised Mass* (MAM), drawing/towing any weight trailer/caravan within the prescribed maximum towing weight. The maximum towing weight will be specified in the technical data section of the vehicle manufacturer’s handbook. However, Club recommendations on weight ratio between trailer and towing vehicle remain
at 85%.

*The terms ‘Maximum Authorised Mass’, ‘Gross Weight’ and ‘Permissible Maximum Weight’ all have the same meaning, ie the weight of the vehicle plus the maximum load the vehicle may safely carry.
When drivers of any vehicle over a MAM of 3,500kg reach 70 years of age and their driving licence
expires they must pass the D4 Medical Test and pass the required standard eyesight test at 20.5 metres/67 feet with glasses used when driving. This legislation became effective from 1 January 1998.


https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/1022874/drivers-licences-mo.pdf

 

[Courier]

Interesting thread - I have 3 years to go and not yet got a photo card licence [emoji41][emoji12]

 

[Steevo]

Maybe some on this thread could help @RWG Contracts with his sore knees.

 

[puppet]

I think you will find that the 3.5t refers to big vans not to combined jeep and trailer. I do some medicals and never had a request for this, only HGV or PSV. Driving a minibus as a volunteer stops at 70 though I think a medical might allow you to continue

 

[Courier]

Some mobile homes based on what is usually considered to be 3500 kg van are actually rated higher at up to 4250 kg - be aware.

 

[milkloss]

Diabetic job the same: they get you to renew every three years and get limited to 3.5t unless you do a medical.

 

[Old McDonald]

I know that not all EU countries give you an automatic license to drive a tractor when you pass a car test but surely if you have an entitlement on your European License then it allows you to drive that category in all countries.

Yes, I was allowed to drive on my UK licence until the day before I reched 70. Then, of course, that licence expired and I had to obtain a Portuguese one.

I am restricted to Cat. B1 (any 4wd goods carrying vehicle up to 400kgs) and Cat.B (in the UK a vehicle and trailer up to 8250kgs for having passed my test before 1 Jan 1997 otherwise 3500kgs limit). Since I did not pass my test in Portugal before that date and I now have a Portuguese licence, it seems I am restricted.

In the UK I had Cats. B, C1, D1, B+E, C1+E, D1+E, F (Ag tractor), K, L, N and P which appers not to exist anymore.

If you want to easily check your own entitlements against your driving licence the link is https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories

 

[Shovelhands]

This is the back of the form they send out.

 

[Steevo]

By "vehicle" it only means the front bit with the engine. A trailer is not a vehicle as I understand it.