Feeling sorry for myself... (1 Viewer)

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Just heard from the DVLA that I exceeed the minimum standards required for driving my car (newly diagnosed with Glaucoma, Managed & stable). However, I do not meet the tighter requirements for field of vision required for driving lorries and busses, so lose my C1 entitlement.

Now, I must downrate my MH to 3500kg, Having uprated it to 3850kg recently.

What I don't get is...
I am not a bus or lorry driver, so why classify my activities in this way?
I can still drive it when downrated IT'S THE SAME VEHICLE!
I can tow a trailer up to 750kg to carry lost payload, so MGTW will be higher than my current MGVW (can do much more damage with that if I have a RTC).
I can see more out of the cab of my MH than through the screen of my Peugeot 208 (and my neck still swivels to look around).
They created a special category for VED on motorhomes recently, why can't they do the same for us non lorry / bus / minibus drivers just using them for leisure purposes?

Looks like I have to start to paying more VED and carry less.

Woe is me! Anyone got a positive spin on this to cheer me up?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Higher speed limits

 

[EuroTrotters]

Thats bad news.

The Extra Weight with the trailer!.

Dunno what to say.

TM

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[Phillybarbour]

Sad news for you but they have to set a limit somewhere and its 3500kg in line with Europe. For safety we should not go back to the days on a car driver jumping in a 7500kg (which the limit used to be) vehicle and zooming off with no training.

Hope you sort the downplate and all is ok soon.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Is a re-assessment of your eyesight/field of vision feasible - would the DVLA reinstate if you scored better ?

 

[pappajohn]

I appreciate your dilemma but they aren't concerned that your new train weight exceeds your current 3850kg gross weight, moreso that with a C1 licence you COULD drive a 7500kg vehicle, whether you do or not is not their concern but they granted you the right if you so wished.
By reducing you to 3500kg they have taken away the legal possibility of that being available to you.
What is ridiculous, assuming you have a B+E category, is you can now legally drive a 3500kg vehicle and under certain circumstances tow a 6000kg, or even heavier, trailer legally which far exceeds even a pre 1997 C1+E licence.

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[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Thanks for the comments, Yes, I could be re-assessed and I will take advice on this from my consultant.
Pappajohn, I understand wht you say, but there is an M1 Special Purpose class of vehicle that our leisure vehicles are classified under. Why not add a new licence class to cover M1 Special purpose vehicles and exclude commercial and paying passenger categories instead of trapping us all in a catch-all set of regulations

 

[tonyidle]

Thanks for the comments, Yes, I could be re-assessed and I will take advice on this from my consultant.
Pappajohn, I understand wht you say, but there is an M1 Special Purpose class of vehicle that our leisure vehicles are classified under. Why not add a new licence class to cover M1 Special purpose vehicles and exclude commercial and paying passenger categories instead of trapping us all in a catch-all set of regulations

I tend to agree. In fact I believe converters should be lobbying on behalf of their industry and customers instead of turning out barely-legal 3500Kg vans and paring fittings quality to the bone to keep the weight down

 

[barsteward]

I also agree, there should be a lobby group the trade in general are turning out M/h that can barely meet the mtpl and the sales then want their cut of the accessory market. There must be thousands of m/h that are well over the limit most of them unwittingly.
A more realistic weight IMHO would be 4 tonne and manufacturers should be forced to weigh and plate every single unit off the production line

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[pappajohn]

I understand wht you say, but there is an M1 Special Purpose class of vehicle that our leisure vehicles are classified under. Why not add a new licence class to cover M1 Special purpose vehicles

This category is solely for VED classification and nothing to do with driving licences.
I suspect if the law was changed and m+h were given a licence category of their own it would also involve a specific driving test for the new category in the same way the law has changed regarding C1 (and B) since Jan 1997 and again in 2013.
I suspect the new category would be up to 7500kg as two separate categories for up to 3500kg and up to 7500kg would be no different to what we have today.
The test would be more difficult with LGV style hazard perception tests and health criteria would be at least the same as LGV and probably even more strict due to the average age of m/h drivers, which must be around 65 years old.
My opinion.....Don't rock the boat and wish for something that may be unattainable for many drivers.

 

[pappajohn]

A more realistic weight IMHO would be 4 tonne and manufacturers should be forced to weigh and plate every single unit off the production line

The problem I see with that is the manufacturers would soon get every van up to that weight and still be left with next to no payload just as they do at present at 3500kg.

 

[Tanya_and_Mick]

The positive is that you can still Motorhome

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[barsteward]

The problem I see with that is the manufacturers would soon get every van up to that weight and still be left with next to no payload just as they do at present at 3500kg.

Hence the m/h being weighed off the production line, the responsibility would be that of the manufacturer to ensure that no m/h in the new class exceeded for example 3.300k MIRO to include full tank water/fuel and a universal directive on how to define the MIRO.