The Government has implemented a new safe towing scheme, designed to ensure fleet and private drivers who tow trailers are safe and accredited.

The DVSA has already signed up RED Driver Risk Management as its inaugural training member on its new safe towing scheme

The new DVSA-backed scheme replaces the mandatory B+E test to tow a trailer or caravan, which was scrapped by the Government late 2021, and instead provides a new syllabus and set of standards to be adopted by professional training organisations.

Courses are being run to cover every level of towing ability and include towing for the first time, returning to towing after a break, towing larger trailers and refreshing and formalising driver skills if they already regularly tow.

The DVSA has already signed up RED Driver Risk Management as its inaugural training member which, along with other expert-approved organisations signed up in the future, will need to follow the learning to drive a car and trailer syllabus, which the DVSA has developed with industry experts.

Announcing the new scheme, Roads Minister Baroness Vere commented: “Towing safely is an important issue and I urge drivers to access the training to help keep Britain’s roads safe.

“The new accreditation scheme will help them to get targeted training and improve their driving skills.

“I want to thank the trailer training industry, stakeholders and our partners for their commitment and support in developing this training scheme over the past few months.”

Seb Goldin, RED DRM’s CEO, said the company’s inaugural place on the scheme proved its commitment to helping businesses throughout the UK achieve the best standards for their drivers.

RED DRM has been at the forefront of the campaign to ensure that towing safety standards and skills did not drop after the scrapping of the mandatory test, and Goldin added: “It is important that drivers who are new to towing and those who tow regularly receive accredited training to make sure they have the skills and knowledge to tow safely.

“That there is now a new scheme in place will be a relief to many fleets who tow trailers and equipment for work, and we are pleased that the Government and the DVSA understood the necessity to put in place a new scheme.”

Paul Spink, development director for skills for logistics, the body which accredits the scheme, added: “The DVSA has provided official recognition of the Skills for Logistics B+E accreditation scheme to accredit training centres and trainers and provide quality assurance and certification. We are proud to be associated with and supporting RED, who are at the forefront of road safety.”