just checking in from sunny Brum........

[phantom]

Last day of covering this job (day trunk from yard to Brum).

A couple of good run ups, and some shockers, though today's trip was the fastest I've ever done it (3 hours 15 minutes). Not bad seeing as many don't know/understand that anything over 3.5 tonnes is limited to 56 mph/90kmh.

I just wish that the bloody "authorities" understood that many of the speed displays are calibrated in kmh, so while we work quite hard at keeping to the limits, it's not always easy because the guide speeds we've used since tachographs were introduced can only be accurate at 50mph as that correlates to exactly 80kmh, so we can find ourselves outside the mph criteria by the width of the display needle pointer (which I learned when the N.I.P. arrived).

Luckily, I got offered a "speed awareness course" (£95 for the "zoom" version). So no points (increases insurance premium etc) or the £60 (possibly more as they like to fine commercial drivers more, than "Joe Public") fine.

[Mash]

I had a zoom awareness course. With one attendee rolling about on the bed using her mobile zoom app.

Struck me as not really the spirit of the course.

[Icefever]

I don't envy you, driver I did just over 50 years I left the blacktop behind, and still, get up at 3/4 am.

Just remember greasy side down, shiny side up....

Ice.

[phantom]

Well back down here now, and the weather's not too bad as I wait for Friday f&C's

[Easydrinker]

My good driving news today is that despite already driving again, under section 88, a shiney new licence was delivered.
The barstewards have given it a 5 year life, presumably for medical reasons.
As it is 18 months before my 70th.
Interesting to note the additional vehicles it includes, including my E-bike with a blip throttle and a motor bike trike, of any cc capacity.
I never took my bike licence, just rode on a provisional, many years ago.
I now fancy a bike Easy Rider style trike, for the few days of the year that it doesn't rain in Scotland!
I wasnn't aware of changes since my last renewal 30 years ago.

Robert.

[Mash]

.. And I'll bet your towing capacity & 7.5 ton classes have changed. If not they will at 70.

[Elecrafter]

.. And I'll bet your towing capacity & 7.5 ton classes have changed. If not they will at 70.

At 70 (age not MPH!) you will need a doctors certificate to retain all your Pre 1997 privileges, or you drop to 3.5ton max and all the other disadvantages. Dr cert is in the region of £50-£100 depending on your Dr and their fees.


Ele.

[Mash]

That's interesting, I thought they just went... Fini... Adios

[phantom]

.. And I'll bet your towing capacity & 7.5 ton classes have changed. If not they will at 70.

At 70 (age not MPH!) you will need a doctors certificate to retain all your Pre 1997 privileges, or you drop to 3.5ton max and all the other disadvantages. Dr cert is in the region of £50-£100 depending on your Dr and their fees.


Ele.

7.5 will only be on licenses now, if either you've passed.the test (that's now a.vocational weight) or have the grandad rights (presume most here would be on that situation).

To retain any granddad's rights, you need a full "drivers medical" (I always shop around, becausey G.P. wanted over £100. My last one was £55).

The biggest issue IS cost, because as soon as you've passed the age of 65, medicals are required annually (first medical is fine to age 45, then it becomes 5 yearly to age 65, then annually).

E.D. is lucky for a 5 yearly medical renewal, because my bezzy mate from school is a type 1 diabetic and he only gets 3 years between renewals (just don't be in a position to be diagnosed with any form of epilepsy, because they will pull your license permanently, in a heartbeat).

But as ever, if you need a specific class on your license after 65, then it has to be worthwhile cost-wise (the oldest person who drove class 1 vehicles gave it up at 84, because his wife said he was getting.too old, despite still managing to pass the medicals).

[Elecrafter]

They will pull your licence the minute you are diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. They wouldn't even let me drive home!

When I was being fitted for my CPAP machine we were in a small ward (6 of us) waiting for bed time, I was talking to another patient, and he was a coach driver. Not your school runs, but Bulgaria, Romania, Southern Italy etc ie not short journeys. He fell asleep in MID sentence right in front of me!
Now I got tired, but didn't do that sort of thing, but it was a graphic example of why they pull your licence immediately. You imagine a coach with 50 people on it on a mountain pass and the driver falls asleep with no warning.
It was an eye opener for me, and I have had OSA for nearly 20 years. I am nowhere near and have never been that bad, but you can see how dangerous some of these conditions can be in bad or severe cases.

BTW its worth taking a look at the DVLA notifiable diseases / conditions where you MUST tell the DVLA.
If you don't declare them to the DVLA and / or your Insurance Co your insurance and licence could be invalid.
There are a LOT of those items on that list.

Just my 2d's worth

Ele.

[Easydrinker]

.. And I'll bet your towing capacity & 7.5 ton classes have changed. If not they will at 70.

At 70 (age not MPH!) you will need a doctors certificate to retain all your Pre 1997 privileges, or you drop to 3.5ton max and all the other disadvantages. Dr cert is in the region of £50-£100 depending on your Dr and their fees.


Ele.

7.5 will only be on licenses now, if either you've passed.the test (that's now a.vocational weight) or have the grandad rights (presume most here would be on that situation).

To retain any granddad's rights, you need a full "drivers medical" (I always shop around, becausey G.P. wanted over £100. My last one was £55).

The biggest issue IS cost, because as soon as you've passed the age of 65, medicals are required annually (first medical is fine to age 45, then it becomes 5 yearly to age 65, then annually).

E.D. is lucky for a 5 yearly medical renewal, because my bezzy mate from school is a type 1 diabetic and he only gets 3 years between renewals (just don't be in a position to be diagnosed with any form of epilepsy, because they will pull your license permanently, in a heartbeat).

But as ever, if you need a specific class on your license after 65, then it has to be worthwhile cost-wise (the oldest person who drove class 1 vehicles gave it up at 84, because his wife said he was getting.too old, despite still managing to pass the medicals).

Mine IS a medical review licence for epilepsy.
My max vehicle and towage is reduced to 3.5 tons without a doctors cert. and I have lost the right to drive an 8 seater minibus without said cert, but I can kill 5 people in my car, without the certificate.
I can still drive a tractor, Quad bike, Scag mower and random stuff on the roads.
Someone needs to look at this mess.

Robert.

[Mash]

It certainly does sound a bit random..

[Easydrinker]

DVLA is very random.
Why the feck is it in a devolved country from the UK?

Robert.