Just looked what licence requirements are needed in UK to tow a trailer/caravan. I was quite amazed at the complication of the requirements.

Licences issued from 19 January 2013

From 19 January 2013, drivers passing a category B (car and small vehicle) test can tow:
small trailers weighing no more than 750kg
a trailer over 750kg as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM)

If you want to tow a trailer weighing more than 750kg, when the combined weight of the towing vehicle and trailer is more than 3,500kg, you’ll have to pass a further test and get B+E entitlement on your licence.

You’ll then be able to tow trailers up to 3,500kg.

Licences held from 1 January 1997

If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can:
drive a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg


For anything heavier you need to take a category B+E driving test.

Licences held before 1 January 1997

If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you are generally entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes MAM.

This is the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road.

You also have entitlement to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM.

Since I got my licence in 1974 it means I can tow 8 odd tonnes including the car, but considering I have never towed anything in my driving career I would consider myself a menace on the roads.

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A person who makes no mistakes, creates nothing.

What I find odd is that quite often you see prescription drugs with strong pain killers, with a label or instructions that say "don't operate rotating machinery". You never see "don't drive" or at least in the UK you don't seem to.

I'd be interested to know what a "field sobriety test" consists of in the USA. In the UK it used to be to walk along the white line in the road without wobbling, or recite the alphabet backwards, but that was donkeys years ago before breathalysers. If a policeman can smell alcohol on your breath you are already in trouble!

What's the law on drink driving in England and Wales?

In England and Wales, the alcohol limit for drivers is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, or 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine. In most other European countries, the limit is less, usually 50 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood.

What is the drink driving limit in Scotland?

On December 5th 2014 the alcohol limit for drivers in Scotland reduced from 80 milligrams of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood to 50 milligrams of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood.

The breath alcohol equivalent reduced from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

The Scottish Government say they have changed their drink drive limit to bring Scotland in line with most other European countries, to save lives and make Scotland’s roads safer.

What are the limits elsewhere?

Well back in 1990 When I was caught driving under the influence. The cop obviously could smell alcohol. Thats when he asked me to get out of the car. He asked ne to recite the alphabet going forwards. Then aske dme to walk a straight line. The n had me put my feet together and close my eyes with my arms out streched and touch my nose with both index fingers.
Then he handcuffed me and drove me to the police station. Read me my rights asked me if I would take a breathalyzer test, Explained what would happen if I didnt take one. ( your convicted of a DWI ) One hour later I took the test and blew 1.3. At the time NY State had a 1.0 limit for DWI. Its now .08.
I do not drink and drive anymore. The insurance companys are way more servier the the court was. Plus its just plain stupid to drive in anyway imapaired whether by booze or drugs.
As for the question about warnigs on prescrition drugs. Some of the medicine Ive had to take said right out MAY CAUSE DROWSIENESS. Do not operate or drive any machinery untill you know how this drug affects you.
After my bowel resection in 1999. They gave me Percoset. After 30 minutes Id take a 4 hour nap. So I know that one whacks me good.
Hope that helps you out Chris.

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[/quote]

Old James

Some more light relief - comical but dangerous.

ATM on Texas Highway

Looks like a guard is in trouble for not securing the vehicles doors.

Sorry, missed the edit window.

I sometimes wonder, Just who is in that vehicle in front of me...

Sorry, missed the edit window.

I sometimes wonder, Just who is in that vehicle in front of me...

At least he is not a jihadi suicide bomber.......

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Sorry, missed the edit window.

I sometimes wonder, Just who is in that vehicle in front of me...

At least he is not a jihadi suicide bomber.......

This is as close as I wish to get to one - was literally a minute or two away from it

Took me 17 hours to get back to the depot that day. Ended up going South as North London was practically gridlocked.

Sorry, missed the edit window.

I sometimes wonder, Just who is in that vehicle in front of me...

At least he is not a jihadi suicide bomber.......

This is as close as I wish to get to one - was literally a minute or two away from it

Took me 17 hours to get back to the depot that day. Ended up going South as North London was practically gridlocked.

It never ceases to amaze me how when I try to make a joke about something like that, it turns out to be nearly true.......

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

That's happened to me a few times Donald, scary isn't it :-) I was at the junction of Great Russell Street when the bomb exploded on the bus near Russell Square station. I only made it to Hatfield when I had to park up & wait for my boss to drive down with another driver. I was out of driving time for that day by then (Started at 2am that morning) & finally got home at 02:20 the following morning.

Looking back on my tachograph for that day, had I not stopped for a coffee at the previous drop, it would have been an even chance that I would have been caught up in it.

Sirius B wrote:

Some more light relief - comical but dangerous.

ATM on Texas Highway

Looks like a guard is in trouble for not securing the vehicles doors.

Here is a more complete story with YouTube Video from the local Newspaper: Fort Worth (Weatherford) Star Telegram.

“I thought it was the zombie apocalypse or something, and then it began to look like an Easter egg hunt,” Joel Aldridge said later.

“It was all-out chaos.”

Aldridge was on a mundane errand Friday afternoon when he came upon the extraordinary scene as traffic slowed to a crawl on Interstate 20.

“At first, I thought there had been a wreck or something, and then I noticed this one guy with two handfuls of cash, like he was carrying a basketball or something,” Aldridge said.

The cash had fallen out of a Brinks armored truck.

There has not been any COMMENTS FROM Brinks (and most likely there WON'T BE ANY).
Sounds to me more like the door was left unsecured/partly open "accidentally on purpose" by one (or more) of the armored car crew.
I would also hazard to guess one or more of the crew will no longer be working for Brinks after the "interrogations department" gets done with them.

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Sheer stupidity

Site states UK only for above link.

Report & (hopefully) video for International viewers

As a minimum I'd like to think that those cyclists who crossed while the barriers were down would be disqualified from the even, and preferably from ever racing again.


But I doubt that will happen as racing cyclists behave as if they are above and beyond the law...

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

As a minimum I'd like to think that those cyclists who crossed while the barriers were down would be disqualified from the even, and preferably from ever racing again.


But I doubt that will happen as racing cyclists behave as if they are above and beyond the law...

Including the laws of physics .....

<ed>Like pedestrians http://abc7.com/news/pedestrian-killed-in-gold-line-train-accident/655979/

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Don't forget - that motorcycle cop has some explaining to do.

Picture from the Telegraph & Argus.

It was a pity I was waiting for the train that would have passed this spot 15 minutes after the car landed...

Oh they tailgate there too ....

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One reason why you shouldn't use Bus Lanes if you're not a bus...

I've heard of this happening with Semi-Trucks here too, truck lanes or not.. So just watch out, or as the Army said 'look alive', 'heads up' in Navy parlance..

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Half way around the world, provides balance.

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Well back in 1990 When I was caught driving under the influence. The cop obviously could smell alcohol. Thats when he asked me to get out of the car. He asked ne to recite the alphabet going forwards. Then aske dme to walk a straight line. The n had me put my feet together and close my eyes with my arms out streched and touch my nose with both index fingers.
Then he handcuffed me and drove me to the police station. Read me my rights asked me if I would take a breathalyzer test, Explained what would happen if I didnt take one. ( your convicted of a DWI ) One hour later I took the test and blew 1.3. At the time NY State had a 1.0 limit for DWI. Its now .08.
I do not drink and drive anymore. The insurance companys are way more servier the the court was. Plus its just plain stupid to drive in anyway imapaired whether by booze or drugs.

I also would not be able to pass most of the tests involving balance. It is physically impossible for me to stand with my feet together, let alone keep my balance while doing so.

I think the limit in most or all of the states is now .08%, down from .1% a couple of decades ago. There is now a push to make it .05%. This is technically a state matter, but Congress "encourages" the states to make the change, like "if you don't do it, you don't get any federal highway funding."

As for the question about warnigs on prescrition drugs. Some of the medicine Ive had to take said right out MAY CAUSE DROWSIENESS. Do not operate or drive any machinery untill you know how this drug affects you.
After my bowel resection in 1999. They gave me Percoset. After 30 minutes Id take a 4 hour nap. So I know that one whacks me good.
Hope that helps you out Chris.

Several of the meds I take have that warning. I always give a new one a day or two, but the only one that actually affects me is Ambien, which is a sleeping pill.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Any thing more on the AMTRAK accident?

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