Changes in minimum ages for driving
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• Minimum ages for driving some vehicles in Great Britain will be changed from January 1 1976, to bring them into line with EEC Regulations., The change. announced by Mr John Peyton on Monday, will affect only the drivers of the larger, mainly commercial type vehicles. Under the EEC Regulations, the new minimum ages will apply to international journeys including those in the United Kingdom from April 11973.
The minimum ages will be:- a, goods vehicles over 3.5 metric tons but not over 7.5 metric tons maximum laden weight (including any trailer), 18 years; b, goods vehicles over 7.5 metric tons maximum laden weight (including any trailer), 21 years; c, passenger vehicles with more than nine seats (including the driver's), 21 years.
The minimum ages for driving other types of vehicles remain the same — 17 for driving cars, motorcycles and agricultural tractors and 16 for invalid carriages and mopeds.
'Until 70' licences The changes will affect the licences of drivers under 21 by defining restrictions on the driving of goods vehicles by reference to maximum laden weight instead of unladen weight, as at present. To avoid problems which would arise from the issue to drivers under 21 of the new "until 70" licences expressed in "unladen weight" terms, the drivers will be issued with three-yearly licences until after December 31 1975. Subject to legislation, some "until 70" licences may be issued to other drivers before that date.
Mr Peyton also announced that, as from January 1 1976, the definition of a "heavy goods vehicle" in section 124 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 will relate to goods vehicles exceeding 7.5 metric tons maximum laden weight (inclusive of the weight of any trailer) and any articulated vehicle.
From January 11976, the 7.5 metric tons maximum laden weight, instead of 3 tons unladen weight, will become the yardstick for the heavy goods vehicle driver licensing and testing scheme. Some 14,000 vehicles below 3 tons unladen weight which have a maximum laden weight above 7.5 metric tons will come within the scheme. Drivers of these vehicles will be able to claim, without having to pass the heavy goods vehicle driving test, a heavy goods vehicle driver's licence to drive vehicles in Class 3 which do not exceed 10 metric tons maximum laden weight if they are able to satisfy the licensing authority that, in the year ended December 31 1975, they had at least six months' experience of driving these vehicles. Conversely, 20,000 vehicles over 3 tons unladen weight but below 7.5 metric tons maximum laden weight will be excluded from the scheme.
The DoE notes that all these changes will require legislation.
The first full licence issued after the introduction of "until 70" licences will cost (£.1 if the driver is 65 or over) and all subsequent full licences will be free. This will apply to the three-year licences issued to drivers under 21 before January 1 1976 and no fee would be payable when the "until 70" licence is issued.