Medical at 70 years of age
If my car weighs 2,200KG and my caravan weighs 1,650KG do I need a medical at 70 to renew my driving liecence
Comments
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As I assume you have a pre 1997 licence to tow legally now, you don't need a medical when you turn 70 years of age.
To recap; At 70 you can continue driving vehicles that they themselves have a total permitted weight of under 3500 kgs, without a medical. Note: not "train weight" but the vehicle's maximum weight.
[unless you have a medical condition that you need to declare for them to deliberate about, which you should have told them already anyway]
Then with that tow vehicle you can tow what it can legally tow without a medical.
Motorhomers are impacted, in unlike driving domestic market cars where none are over 3500 kgs maximum loaded weight, motorhomes can well be, so they need medicals if they want to drive these.
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Taken from CC website
Your driving entitlement on renewing at the age of 70
On reaching the age of 70, drivers will retain their driving entitlement for Category B and Category B+E (provided Category B+E was held prior to the expiry date of their driving licence). Category B+E entitles drivers to drive a motor vehicle (i.e. car, van or 4x4) not exceeding 3500kg Maximum Authorised Mass towing any weight trailer/caravan within the prescribed maximum towing weight. The maximum towing weight is specified in the technical data section of the vehicle manufacturer’s handbook. However, we recommendation on weight ratio between trailer and towing vehicle remain at 85%.When drivers of any vehicle over a MAM of 3,500kg reach 70 years of age and their driving licence expires they must pass the D4 Medical Test and pass the required standard eyesight test at 20.5 metres/67 feet with glasses used when driving. This legislation became effective from 1 January 1998.
Looking at the above you are able to tow your outfit with out medical.
David
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Many thanks, all sorted so it seems
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A word for Motorhomers. If your MH exceeds 3500kg or if you think you might want to up-plate your van for higher payload or buy a van over 3500kg in the future them to retain that possibility you will need to complete a D4 medical which includes an eyesight assessment which may require ophthalmologist input.
When drivers of any vehicle over a MAM of 3,500kg reach 70 years of age and their driving licence expires they must pass the D4 Medical Test and pass the required standard eyesight test at 20.5 metres/67 feet with glasses used when driving.
There is, what I think is an anomaly in the eyesight requirement because up to 70 you can meet the eyesight requirements with vision in only one eye i.e. you can be totally blind in one eye so long as you can meet the requirements in the other however after 70 you must have vision in both eyes. However the degree of vision in the less good eye does not need to be "full' vision so if you are have partial vision in one eye you may or may not be able to meet the standard but an ophthalmologist can advise you.
I think this has arisen because the government have transplanted the eyesight requirements from the "HGV" standard which exceeds what "ordinary" drivers have to meet. on one view this is not unreasonable because you can drive trucks up to 7.5 tonnes !
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" If your MH exceeds 3500kg or if you think you might want to up-plate your van for higher payload or buy a van over 3500kg in the future them to retain that possibility you will need to complete a D4 medical "
An inference here runs slightly contrary to what I was told when questioning that point back 5 years ago;
I was lead to believe that even if at 70 one did not take up the retention of the over 3500 kgs, all was not lost if at a later date you wished to reinstate it. I was left thinking that say at 75 I wanted to buy a big motorhome I could then get my rights back if of course able to pass the health requirements.
In no way am I an expert in this, but it was an area I probed into on coming up to 70; have others got a different message?
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One important thing to do is to keep a record of your old license, ie scan or photocopy it so that you can prove that you were previously entitled to that level of license. You hear a lot of anecdotal stories of people being sent licenses with the wrong categories but when they go back to the DVLA they claim they don't keep records! How true that is I don't know so always best to keep a copy as proof just in case.
David
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A friend of mine reported his licence lost just before the age of 70. The replacement no longer had his motorcycle entitlement.
He had not actually lost his previous licence but wanted to retain proof in case. It was sorted although he no longer rides.
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My point focussed on the first three years of the period after post 70 renewal. The DVLA website is quite poor in its guidance and nowhere have I seen a clear pronouncement that the grandfather rights are lost forever if not continued at the first renewal post 70. However there is also no clear pronouncement that they can be re-granted in a subsequent licence and as others highlight there may be evidential difficulties down the line and perhaps greater scepticism/medical scrutiny of a later application where by definition the driver has not driven heavy vehicles for a number of years.
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I looked into this when we were looking at MHs as I did not retain my 3500+ licence at 70.
It was not easy to find info, and I cannot recall where I found it, but it is indeed the case that all you need to do is take the medical and apply to get it reinstated.
Quite a lot of discussion on this on various MH forums.
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I lost my entitlement late last year on reaching 70. I enquired about the medical to keep it 'just in case' and the medical from our Doctor's was over £100 with renewal every year. It just seemed too expensive to maintain as a 'just in case'! Maybe I didn't investigate too thoroughly as we had no particular intention of changing from a caravan to a large motorhome.
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I lost my entitlement late last year on reaching 70. I enquired about the medical to keep it 'just in case' and the medical from our Doctor's was over £100 with renewal every year. It just seemed too expensive to maintain as a 'just in case'! Maybe I didn't investigate too thoroughly as we had no particular intention of changing from a caravan to a large motorhome.
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The DVLA can be very awkward is a polite way of putting it. I passed my test in 1983 so could drive over 3.5t to 7.5t, because I am diabetic they removed my C1+E several years ago. I have recently re-applied for it due to another change in the law saying diabetics can driver 7.5t. So far I have paid £100 to my GP to complete a form which I had to take back because they had missed some bits, then the DVLA sent it back to me because a date was omitted, I also had to have an eye test. They the DVLA paid for another eye test (same as the first one I had), now the DVLA have paid for a medical with my GP, which was exactly the same questions as the original form which I paid £100 for. So far still no decision from them. I am only 50 and have been told if they give me the licence then I will not have to have another medical until I reach 70, although I would not be surprised if the rules don't change again in twenty years.
I can legally drive a Ferrari which I am sure is more dangerous than our 4.25t Hymer motorhome!
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On the DVLA web site you can access your driving licence details showing precisely what you are licensed for. Chech this before you renew your licence. When you apply on line for your licence to be renewed at age 70, you retain your licence until your new one is delivered. Of coarse you have to agree to send it to them straight away and we all do that don't we?
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As a motorhome owner I did consider taking the medical at 70 but in the end I figured that most people actually downsize as they get older. I can't imagine aged 70 plus that I would go for a bigger vehicle; more likely to go for a van conversion.
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though speed itself isn't dangerous 
