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To add to the weight entitlement in order
to tow trailers such as twin axle horse
trailers drivers need to pass a practical
category B+E (car and trailer) test. If
the towing vehicle has more than eight seats,
(i.e. a Landrover 110 Station wagon), unless
you passed your test before 1st January
1997, you will have to take a minibus test
before you can drive it, or a minibus towing
test if you want to tow a horse trailer
with it.
The tests take approximately
one and a half hours and are conducted at
DSA large goods vehicle testing centres.
The fine for 'driving otherwise
than in accordance with a licence' is a
£1000 and 3 - 6 penalty points. An unlicensed
driver would be unlikely to have valid insurance
which carries a further fine of £5,000 and
3 - 6 penalty points. For a new driver,
this could mean losing their licence altogether
under the New Drivers Act, and having to
retake their theory and practical tests.
. Drivers who obtained their licence before
1997 were given full category B + E licence
entitlement automatically.
Colin Maddock, of The
Driving Standards Agency Customer Service
Unit says: "The law was changed in 1997
as part of a number of driver licensing
changes aimed at enhancing driver safety
through the harmonisation of licensing procedures
across the European Union.
In the year 2001-2002,
we conducted just 299 car and trailer tests
against 1.3 million car tests, and we're
concerned that some new drivers are going
on to drive cars towing trailers without
first acquiring the correct driving licence
entitlement."
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