New driving laws you need to know about

Are you aware of three new UK driving laws coming into force starting in November 2021? Don’t get caught out! Stay up to speed and remain on the right side of the law by learning more below... 

New towing rules

Do you tow a trailer or caravan? Then you’ll need to understand how the law is changing later in 2021 (official date to be confirmed by the UK Government). 

If you are caught towing anything heavier, you can be fined up to £1,000 and receive six penalty points on your driving licence, or even be banned from driving.  

Driving licences before 1st January 1997

If you passed your driving test before 1st January 1997, then the changes in law will not affect you so your MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) limit remains the same; you can drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg, or a minibus towing a trailer over 750kg. 

Driving licences issued between 1st January 1997 to 18th January 2013

If you passed your driving test from 1st January 1997 to the 18th January 2013, the law will change allowing you to tow trailers up to 3,500kg MAM. To reflect this, the DVLA will update your driving licence accordingly by adding ‘Category BE’ which relates to the use of light vehicles.   

Driving licences issued after 18th January 2013

If you passed your driving test after 18th January 2013, there will be no changes to your MAM towing limit for now; you can drive a car or van up to 3,500kg towing a trailer up to 750kg, or a trailer over 750kg as long as the combined MAM weight of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg. 

New clean air zone

Inspired by London’s Clean Air Zone, Portsmouth on the South Coast will be the third city outside of the capital to introduce a designated Clean Air Zone as of Monday 29th November 2021. 

Portsmouth Council is required by the UK Government to launch the controversial zone which will affect private hire vehicles and some businesses. For now at least, private cars will not be affected by the changes.

What are the charges for Portsmouth’s Clean Air Zone?

Private hire vehicles such as taxis will be charged £10 per day to drive within Portsmouth’s Clean Air Zone. If you drive a lorry or coach then you’ll be hit hard and charged a pricey £50 per day to enter the zone. 

They’ll be no getting away with it if you’re hoping to sneak in and out of the zone; in total, 29 ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras have been installed in Portsmouth to track down motorists travelling in and out of the city. 

Where are the UK’s Clean Air Zones?

Leading by example, London was the first city in the UK to implement a Clean Air Zone to improve air quality due to excessive use of road transport vehicles. 

Outside of the capital, other cities have followed suit as advised by central government and launched Clean Air Zones of their own. They include; Bath, Birmingham, and as of Monday 29th November 2021, Portsmouth too.   

Driving license extensions ending

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UK driving licenses due to expire between February 2020 and December 2020 were granted an 11-month extension period for renewals. This means that the special extension period comes to an end on Tuesday 30th November 2021, so you’ll need to act quickly!