Driving Licences
Motor caravan tourism should be accessible to all generations without any unnecessary restrictions. All holders of the B driving licence should have the opportunity to drive vehicles up to 4.25 tons.
Caravanning represents individual travel, flexibility, autonomy and variety more than any other type of holiday. Simply get in, and off you go for your weekend trip or summer holiday at the seaside. But you also have to have the right driving licence.
The class B driving licence is the only motor vehicle driving licence for private use. The C1 and C driving licences are designed for professional use only and are over dimensioned for the private sphere. This means there is no suitable driving licence available for privately used vehicles above 3.5 tonnes.
one thing, chassis are becoming heavier all the time due to technical reasons because of more complex exhaust gas cleaning with AdBlue tanks, new assistance systems and accessories such as air suspension, all of which push up the weight of motor caravans. The customers’ continually growing comfort requirements also have an impact: today’s luxury is tomorrow’s standard. Since the introduction of the class B driving licence, the total weight increase i n motor caravans due to safety and environment equipment and additional customer requirements amounts to about 300 kg. Leisure vehicle manufacturers have counteracted this trend with a tremendous amount of research and millions in investment in innovative and world-leading lightweight construction solutions. This has slowed down the trend of producing heavier caravans and motor caravans but has not stopped it.
The B96, for combinations up to 4.25 tonnes, is a caravan- friendly trailer driving licence that was introduced at the initiative of the CIVD and its European umbrella association, the European Caravan Federation (ECF), on the basis of the third Driving Licence Directive in 2013. A one-day training session at a driving school makes it possible to upgrade from 3.5 tonnes to a total combination weight of 4.25 tonnes without having to take any further tests. In Germany, a total of 52,400 B96 driving licences have been issued since 2013.
The position of the caravanning industry: An extension of the class B driving licence to at least 4.25 tonnes would be desirable for motor caravans. The B96 should be integrated into the class B driving licence for car-trailer combinations.