Supervising Learner Drivers of category C1 and D1 including vehicle plus trailer combinations
Supervising Learner Drivers of category C1 and D1 including vehicle plus trailer combinations
We intend to clarify the accompanying driver rules in respect of holders of pre-1997 licences who supervise learner drivers in category C1, D1 including vehicle plus trailer combinations. We consulted on this change in 2007 and subsequently announced that the change would be introduced – but not earlier than 6 April 2010.
Before January 1997, drivers who passed the car driving test were also granted implied entitlement to drive small lorries, buses and vehicle plus trailer combinations (categories C1, C1+E, D1 and D1+E) subject to certain restrictions.
Learner drivers should not drive a vehicle on public roads unless they are being supervised by a qualified driver. The qualified driver (also known as the accompanying driver) must hold a full licence for the category of vehicle being driven and must have held that licence for the relevant period of time – usually 3 years. In our view, implied rights entitlements do not meet the first of those criteria because of the restrictions attaching to the licence. Also, there are road safety issues involved where a person who has never passed the relevant driving test acts as the supervisor for a leaner driver in a category C1 or D1 vehicle (including +E combinations).
These changes will not affect anyone’s existing entitlement to drive C1 or D1 vehicles or vehicle plus trailer combinations. But they will prevent anyone from acting as an accompanying driver in such vehicles if they only hold pre-1997 implied entitlements.
Anyone, particularly in the training industry, who currently relies on implied entitlements and wants to continue to act as an accompanying driver in C1 or D1 vehicles ( including +E combinations) after the change is introduced, will need to pass the relevant driving test(s) before 6 April 2010. We will ensure that such people are already considered to meet the requirement relating to the length of time that the full licence must have been held – usually 3 years – from the date of the change.
If they pass the relevant driving test(s) and meet the appropriate medical standards after the 6 April 2010, they will have to wait until they have held their new entitlement for three years before they can act as the supervising driver.
However, if they have passed a driving test for one category of vocational licence and have held that licence for a period of three years, they will only have to wait a period of one year from the date they pass the test for another category of vocational vehicle before they can supervise a learner driver in that category of vehicle. The table below gives further details:
Column 1 Column 2
(Licence held for three years) (Licence held for one year)
C1 D1
C1 +E D1 +E
D1 C1
D1 +E C1 +E
27 February 2009