Special Towing Category for driving licence.

[Bank of Dad]

Is anyone else tiring of the so called experts in 'Caravan and Motorhome' magazine and website plus others softly campaigning for a licence category for towing? Just becase they write about the topic doesn't mean they know what they're on about, in fact they're often wrong, sometimes dangerously.

The law doesn't permit P platers towing without special approval (young tradies etc). The last thing this country needs is more rules.....everything is already illegal or compulsory.

Provide training opportunities, provide incentives such as reduced insurance premiums or even further reduced licence or van registration etc. Take the warning labels off and let the dumb ones work it out for themselves......natural selection!

 

[Soaring]

I'm in two mind on this one @Bank of Dad. I don't like extra beuracracy, but I think our licensing standard in general is woeful.
I can guarantee every single person on here has muttered at least once, "how did that clown get a licence" or similar. People on the roads are dangerous, and I put it down to poor driver training, and a society that cannot accept the fact that a licence is a privilege not a right.
What scares me the most is that any of those half wits can legally pilot a wobbly 6 ton battering ram.......
I don't support separate towing licences, but want to see it much, much harder to get and keep a drivers licence.




My 2c rant

 

[Bluey]

ive got that many licences its not funny and all my earthmoving tickets which I have done plenty of training and hrs logged before I could get a ticket and the tests where harder than car licence I got mine many years ago easier to get now semi was hard too now I don't know so as @Soaring said many clowns on roads so maybe , maybe I licence for over a certain weight mite be good my half penny

 

[Bank of Dad]

We do Bluey...LT etc.

Lots of training doesn't weed out the idiots.

 

[Bank of Dad]

Soaring.......I agree mate. Licences.....all licences should be harder. Not just towing.

Sad fact is if you race cars on a race track, you are still km for km more likely to have an accident on the road rather than the track. On a separate note, certain insurances were denied me when I was an airline pilot if I was caiming as a direct result of an accident/incident at work flying.....driving or riding a motor bike on the road.....all sweet. Go figure!

 

[crackacoldie]

I was always against a licence endorsement for towing, however, I have changed my mind. The main reasons being;

1. Tow capacities of vehicles being set by marketing departments, not by engineers

2. Increasing van sizes with incorrect weight data often set to suit customers tow vehicles.

While licensing and training will not remove all of the buffers from the road, it my actually get extra people to think about what they are about to load and tow, together with how they will tow it.

 

[Bank of Dad]

You have proof that engineers are not setting tow limits? Big call!

 

[crackacoldie]

Yes a big call but how else can you explain territories with 3t capacity, many of the dual can Utes with a 3.5t capacity tied together with fine print.

 

[Soaring]

2.7.......

 

[crackacoldie]

Unfortunately I have attended more than one fatal accident involving towed loads, admittedly not caravans, however ALL of these have been caused by incorrect weights and loading,a licence endorsement for towing would reduce this. Unfortunately there are many people who think that because they have a piece of steel hanging out the back of their car means they can tow anything.

 

[Bank of Dad]

Yes a big call but how else can you explain territories with 3t capacity, many of the dual can Utes with a 3.5t capacity tied together with fine print.

Precise engineering.....I come from aviation where such 'qualifications' on capabilities are quite normal.

 

[Bank of Dad]

And the Territory is 2.3 for RWD, 2.7 for AWD with lots of fine print about download versus GVM etc...

 

[Tricky]

Correction - engineers set towing capacities not marketing departments - fact...

 

[Bank of Dad]

Unfortunately I have attended more than one fatal accident involving towed loads, admittedly not caravans, however ALL of these have been caused by incorrect weights and loading,a licence endorsement for towing would reduce this. Unfortunately there are many people who think that because they have a piece of steel hanging out the back of their car means they can tow anything.

And I've seen plenty of freight aircraft crash fatally for the same loading related reasons. Aviation licences not easily obtained at ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) level.

 

[Fabulous]

I think it might have its merits, There are a lot of clowns on the road. Wouldn't be fussed if it was brought in. I've got an MR licence so a licence to tow a van wouldn't expect to be too difficult.

I think there is far more frivolous regulations out there than this.

Just my thoughts

 

[Bank of Dad]

I think it might have its merits, There are a lot of clowns on the road. Wouldn't be fussed if it was brought in. I've got an MR licence so a licence to tow a van wouldn't expect to be too difficult.

I think there is far more frivolous regulations out there than this.

Just my thoughts

If they get really serious there will be lots of second hand vans for sale when current vanners fail......except they won't, when some clearly should, so pointless, money making exercise. Will make Decca etc very happy.

 

[darcy305]

Just as a side note who would regulate this licensing ?? I know of people that have purchased a jet ski (which requires a license) and obtained this license in group situation. Multiple choice questions pay $XXX and everybody passes. So really not worth the paper or plastic there printed on. Just my 2 bobs worth

 

[Bank of Dad]

Good for state coffers though Darce.......no safety benefit at all......my point exactly. As who would regulate it, Vic Roads here in the Socialist Republic of Victoria......RTA in NSW, except they'll pay 10 times what everyone else pays.....

 

[Crusty181]

When i was researching the new van and car regarding weights etc, i came across an article that compared Australia to Germany. In Germany, it stated, a vehicle can tow a maximum of 0.7 its own unladen weight, and not one of the 10 ten most popular offroad caravans sold in Australia would be legally able to be towed in Germany. The 3.5t tow capacity of any of the new twin cab utes would be slashed by more than half. Urban rumour suggests Germany is better at this safety stuff that we are. Are we sure we should just double it????, maybe we should run it by the Germans first???

Its quite unnerving thinking any Billy Bob unskilled, inexperienced licence holder on their first caravan holiday could be hurtling toward me at 100kph, weighing around 6t (or more because theyre likely overloaded) and have no clue.

Our current system literally allows anybody from a 21 year old to 90 year old who have never towed a thing in their lives to jump, unchecked, untrained, and inexperienced, from a Deawoo straight into a 7t combo Lancruiser towing a 3.5t van. I certainly dont have the answers, and licencing may or may not help ..... but that is simply insane and only a special person would argue otherwise.

I would like to think the licencing would be comprehensive, but reading a book or watching a video is still better than nothing. It wouldnt be aimed at us all here, it would be aim those newbies.

I think im a pretty experienced and careful tow'er, and im sure i could squeeze in a 2 hour test to keep Billy Bob from hurting my family. I would view it not so much as licencing me, but more unlicencing Billy Bob.

 

[Bank of Dad]

Ranger can tow 3.5 tonne in the UK.......common EU rules........therefore it can tow 3.5 in Germany. Moot point, Germany.....who holidays there except for those river cruise things? Boring place.