In our last blog on speed limits for campervans, panel vans and vans with side windows, which we posted on the 22nd September 2021, we talked about how we had corresponded directly with the Chief Constable for Roads’ Policing from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and had clarified that the DVLA body type description on the vehicle V5 is not the decisive factor for dictating what speed your van can be driven at on the UK roads – the decisive factor is the definition of Motorcaravan as given in The Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) (Great Britain) Regulations 1979.
You may be interested to know that this has now been successfully put to the test by a member of the public with the Devon & Cornwall Police. The vehicle in question was a Citroen Relay that was originally manufactured and registered as a panel van and then been converted into a campervan – the conversion met with the definition of a motorcaravan as given in those 1979 Type Approval Regulations, which reads – a motor vehicle which is constructed or adapted for the carriage of passengers and their effects and which contains, as permanently installed equipment, the facilities which are reasonably necessary for enabling the vehicle to provide mobile living accommodation for its users. This vehicle did not have a high top, did not have an awning on either side or “motorhome” decals, all of which the DVLA now deem necessary for their V5 Body Type classification to Motorcaravan.
The driver of the vehicle was presented with a fine via a fixed speed camera for exceeding the speed limit for a panel van, but challenged the ticket based upon the information given in our blog. After an exchange of correspondence between the vehicle owner and Devon & Cornwall Police, which included photos showing the interior campervan conversion, Devon & Cornwall Police backed down and reversed their initial decision – no fine and no points!
We’re very pleased to see that Devon & Cornwall Police realised their error and that the law is now being interpreted correctly. We would suggest that this isn’t always the case across the rest of the UK?
To see our previous blog that gives the full details of the various laws and regulations that determine the UK speed limits for a campervans then just click here.
