Already often heavy when empty, motor homes have a GVWR limited to 3.5 tonnes. A very precise mass in order to stick to the regulations of the B permit. But a proposal could soon increase the limit to 4.5 tonnes.
Today, the highway code is clear. With a simple B license, impossible to drive a vehicle weighing more than 3.5 tonnes. The PTAC (total permissible laden weight) must not exceed this value. Otherwise, you will have to change category and pass, at least, the C1 license. In other words, the first level of the heavy goods vehicle license.
But this regulation is restrictive, in particular for motorhomes. The larger ones are already very close to this empty value. Consequently, do not authorize their owners to drive with everything they would like to take on board… Unless they contravene the law.
No wonder then that it is the associations of motorhomes who lead the fight for the increase of the PTAC authorized by the license B. The FICC (International Federation of Camping and Caravaning) and the FFCC (French Federation of Campers, Caravanners and Motorhomes) have therefore asked Europe and France to ‘study the measure.
In addition to allowing motorhome drivers to no longer worry about flirting with the limits of the law, this amendment would also impact light commercial. The latter are increasingly driven out of city centers in the name of pollution control. However, the switch to electric is still explode the weight of vehicles, battery requires. The weight of loaded goods is therefore limited, and clean vehicles are penalized.
A compromise could be to authorize the driving of vehicles with a GVW of 4.5 tons on condition of following specific training. This rule is already in place for firefighters. They can therefore get behind the wheel of machines weighing up to 4.5 tonnes after completing a one-day training course.
If this rule already exists in France, we could then hope that it would be easy to generalize it to the rest of drivers. Unfortunately, this aspect of the highway code is directed by a set of conventions and rules decided internationally, particularly in Europe. It will therefore surely be necessary to wait a few more years for the development of this proposal to bear fruit.
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