Newslink October 2021

News
TRAILER
TRAINERS
TRASHED
The past month has seen a furious and very public row break out after the government decided to
formally abandon B+E testing as part of its plan to alleviate the national shortage of LGV drivers.
From September 20, all B+E testing has stopped, with examiners who used to work on those tests
now focusing solely on LGVs. The decision has understandably created a huge response, particularly
from those instructors who used to work in this sector. Over the next four pages we will look at the
decision in-depth, with MSA GB National Chairman Peter Harvey explaining the next steps forward.
Peter Harvey mbe
National Chairman
MSA GB
Every year, on average, around 30,000
people in the UK take a DVSA car and
trailer test – otherwise known as B+E
testing. From September 20 onwards,
however, the figure will be nil.
This has come as a devastating blow
to a lot of people. To those ADIs who
have specialised in this sector, it has
potentially destroyed their businesses.
And to anyone interested in road safety, it
is very upsetting and feels like a
retrograde step that undoes decades of
work to make car-and-trailer motoring
safer on our roads.
So how did it come to this? Put simply,
a combination of Brexit and Covid has
conspired to create a huge shortage in
LGV drivers in the UK, and the government
has decided that one way to stop this
shortage crippling the UK economy is to
direct all its examining resources at the
LGV sector to boost numbers. As a
result, B+E testing has stopped – and
any road safety implications as far as
cars and trailers are concerned is simply
collateral damage that cannot be seen to
take precedence over the bigger picture,
of getting more LGV drivers in the cab.
As someone who has spent decades
working to improve road safety, I think
this is a mistake. I also know many,
many people at the DVSA feel the same
as I do. It cannot be true that a driving
situation which demanded extra training
and testing to keep the public safe is no
longer required. If it was thought right at
the start of 2021 to train and test people
if they wish to tow a trailer or caravan,
then nothing has changed to alter this.
However, this is a done deal. The
government is highly unlikely to perform
a U-turn. So where does that leave us?
First, the legal bit. On September 21 it
was not correct to say that someone
who had passed their L-test after 1997
can now drive and tow a trailer or
caravan. It would still be against the law.
Why? Because the law has not changed
– yet. If you obtained your driving licence
after 1997, when B+E testing was
introduced, you still must obtain a
car-and-trailer pass to tow. However, you
can’t do this as there are no longer any
B+E tests being conducted, leaving you
effectively in no man’s land. At some
point in the next few months the law will
be changed but it has not happened yet.
Only then will you be legally allowed to
tow a trailer.
Two, should B+E trainers give up? My
advice is no. Consider this: most people
are sensible. Most people, when asked
the question, do you feel confident
driving your car down the road, will
answer ‘yes’. However, when you add the
phrase ‘while towing a 2.5-tonne
Do our views matter or is the government paying lip service?
Continued from page 3
Once the decision has been made there will be no going
back.
I suspect that there are some B+E serial failures, as in the
other categories, they will now drive among us.
We should spare some sympathy for the DVSA. As an
Executive Agency its work is at the behest of the government
of the day and ot has no influence on policy. I am sure there
are many driving examiners and vehicle inspectors within the
organisation that would question this decision but, like ADIs,
their experience and expertise does not count.
When we think of B+E safety, our minds immediately go to
caravans strewn across motorways. Is there a risk of more
farm/industrial incidents through lack of training? I am sure
the Health & Safety Executive would have had a viewpoint.
Much of the lorry driver shortages could be resolved through
better working conditions and terms of employment. The
average age of an LGV driver is 55 which shows younger
people are not being encouraged into the industry. No problem
will be resolved at the expense of road safety.
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NEWSLINK n OCTOBER 2021