A NEW YEAR AND PERHAPS A NEW OUTLOOK FOR YOU, AMERICAN MOTORHOMES ARE SIMPLY THE BEST YOU CAN GET, SPACE AND PRESTIGE!
Licence Requirements
New and existing drivers ... what qualifications do you need to be able to drive a microcar / quadricycle ?
New driving licence rules ... now 16 year olds can drive!!
Existing holders of full car or motor cycle licence can continue to drive quadricycles ... No change
New motor cycle licence holders from 2001 can now drive light quadricycles from 19 January 2013. Previously users required a full licence prior to February 2001.
New AM licence from 19 January 2013
The minimum age 16 years to drive mopeds with a maximum design speed over 25 kph but not more than 45kph, inclusive light quadricycles up to 4kw and up to 350 kg unladen weight up to 45kph.Existing category P moped licence holders may drive light quadricyles from 19 January 2013 on existing P licence.
New 16 year old drivers or older persons taking AM licence need to pass:
- Compulsory basic training CBT using moped machine not a quadricycle
- Theory test for motorcycles
- Practical test using moped machine
On passing the above test sequence an AM licence is awarded and drivers may immediately drive microcar and take a passenger.
Provisional 16 year old licence moped holders may not drive quadricycles.
Note: lightweight quadricycles may not be driven on UK motorways due to minimum 45kph limit.
Category P Moped Licence
The change to Category P, which was introduced on 19th January, has reclassified the 50cc moped category to include a series of low powered cars and quadricycles that weigh less than 350 kg.
This means 16 year old car insurance holders can drive lightweight vehicles that have a capped top speed of 28 mph.
Justin Bond, the UK manager for one of the companies that produces these regulated vehicles, has told Motoring Research that market demand is strong, "We have a number of dealers in place, through some of our existing network and new dealers interested in selling alongside either cars or motorcycles.
"People need to see it as an alternative to a moped, rather than comparing it to a car, and our experience in Europe shows that they are a popular first step towards driving a car, or a dry alternative to motorcycles in winter."
Any 16 year old wishing to drive on Britain's roads will have to first pass a Compulsory Basic Training course, which examines their motoring skills through both a theory and practical test.
The change in legislation is expected to prove popular in Britain, with 300,000 of the newly-legalised vehicles already sold in mainland Europe. The Aixam Mega is one of the most popular of these vehicles, which costs £10,000 and produces 95 miles-per-gallon from its 400cc engine. Renault are also expected to lower the top speed of their Twizy car to tap into this new market.
16 Year Olds
Cars in this class must conform to two limits: they must weigh less than 350kg and have a top speed limited to 28mph.
Here are some cars you can drive at 16!
Classed as a 'light quadricycle', you can drive the Aixam Coupe S on a moped licence - and with twin exhaust pipes, tinted windows and a sporting bodykit - it's a damn sight better looking than a scooter. With a top speed of only 28mph, it isn't going to break any land speed records, but it will at least give you some mobility at the tender age of 16 beyond two wheels.
Inspector Clouseau famously drove one into a swimming pool in one of the Pink Panther movies, but any 16-year-old can drive a Piaggio Ape too. Designed in the 1960s but still available today, it's not so much a car as a (very) light commercial vehicle, but it can carry passengers.
