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FROM THE POSTBAG Driver's age limits are the subject of
Page 97
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an inquiry from a young reader. Being 18 years old, he complains that he is permitted to drive only vehicles with an unladen weight of under 3 tons. "This I consider to he ridiculous as only petrol-engined goods vehicles weigh less than this. Even the smallest diesel lorry weighs in excess of 3 ton. The lorry I drive is a Bedford 7-ton S-type weighing 2 tons 19 cwt. But if this lorry were fitted with a diesel engine I would be too young to drive, even though this had not altered the actual size or carrying capacity."
As laid down in Regulation 97 of the Road Traffic Act 1960, no one under 21 years of age is allowed to drive a "heavy motor car" which is the legal terminology for a goods vehicle with an unladen weight of over 3 tons. Additionally the Motor Vehicles (Minimum Age for Driving) Regulations, No. 1025/63 stipulates that no driver under 21 may drive an articulated vehicle if the tractive unit exceeds 2 tons unladen.
Whilst appreciating that this reader feels strongly on this matter it is inevitable that, with any regulation laying down specific limitations, people adversely affected by apparently marginal differences should consider such limitations unnecessarily arbitrary. But even if there was a substantial body of opinion that felt these age limitations should be lowered, the present moment would seem inopportune in view of current demands for higher driving standards by goods vehicle drivers.