Woohoo! New vehicle category on my licence!

Oct 30, 2014 56 Replies

Just got my replacement licence through the post after losing my wallet the other day. Very excited to see that a new category has been added.



Can't wait to find out what "q" entitles me to drive. So excited.... ;-)



Tim


Don't be.

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Category Q You can drive 2-wheeled vehicles with:

  • an engine size not more than 50cc if powered by an internal combustion engine
  • a maximum design speed of no more than 25km/h (15.5mph)

Even my VeloSlowlexes are too fast for that.

Well, I kinda knew that already, but, for there to be a category suggests that there are vehicles that are required to fit that category. Would these be motorised buggies for the elderly/disabled that might not be allowed to do more than 15mph?

Is it a sign of my advancing age that they've now added it to my licence? ;-)

Just curious.

Tim

Not sure many disability scooters are two-wheeled...

Chris

Does a Segway count as two-wheeled? It appears to have a design speed of

12.5 mph. All they'd then have to do is make the Segways themselves legal...

According to some sources the q is for a three wheeled sub 50cc , max

28mph, moped, category P already covers that, so for full licence car drivers the q category is pretty irrelevant, as is the AM category

I saw a brand new moped today. Wasn't there long enough for me to get the make but I was was awestruct by the pedals. It is years since I saw such a beasty.

Had one on those in them days. FWD, automatic, open-air cond. I used to file underside of cylinder near port, made it suck earlier in the 2-stroke cycle. Sadly, someone nicked it. Are they still made?

They have been in recent years, but either Chinese or Hungarian-built, and not exactly top quality.

Both mine are '60s French.

Since the Gov't website explicitly says two wheels and 25kph, those sources might as well say it's for unicorns.

It's often been suggested that a big spike instead of an airbag would encourage better driving. :-)

But the other, more official Gov't website says less than 4 wheels.

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The internal combustion engine is optional, so it seems to be aimed at electric scooters, of the non-mobility type (electrically assisted pedal cycles with no pedals). I think it is outside CBT requirements.

Yes, and there is no law prohibiting riding Segways on UK carriageways.

Thanks for yet another example of the way

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tells people whatever fits within the style dictated for the site rather than the law ;) I'm sad enough to have filed a complaint via the link at the bottom of
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Apart from the Road Traffic Act and various Construction & Use regulations.

You sure? From Segway's own website...

"Please note that at this moment in time as the Segway PT is not yet classified under any UK law, the Department for Transport have said that they are not allowed to be used in public areas such as the roads or pathways. We are working with the DfT to get the Segway PT sanctioned for use only on the roads and cycle ways. For now a rider should only use their Segway PT on private property."

If there had been any change in the law they'd be mad not to have updated their site.

Tim

What about those annoying powered skateboard thingies that kids use without crash helmets? IC engine, tiny in size, not sure how close-coupled wheels are counted.

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