squidge Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 I read somewhere that the seating capacity of a 4x4 has to, by law, be limited to something like 10 seats, above which one needs a commercial vehicle driving licence to legally drive the vehicle. I am considering buying a Land Rover Defender, which would typically have 11-12 seats, but this news has made me question whether I should pursue the idea. Can anyone confirm that this is indeed the law in France, and if so whether it is easy enough to customise a Defender so that it can legally be driven on a standard driving licence. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard-R Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Not sure about in France but if you paased your test in the U.K. when they introduced the written part than you are not covered to drive a LWB landrover if it is a county. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Not just 4x4. The maximum number of passengers that can be carried without a commercial licence is 9. Seems to be a standard European limit - except in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colette Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Which model Defender are you getting, are you sure it seats that many? Wouldn't even the long wheelbase (we drive a short) only be insured to carry 2+3+4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 My French driving licence seems to entitle me to drive minibusses withup to 17 seats. I didn't take a special test in the UK (though theexaminer the second time around indicated in a non-verbal way that ithad been a very "special" test for him and that he thought he owed itto his collegues to let at least one more person experience myunconventional approach to the conduction of a motor vehicle. The blokewho finally passed me was on his last day and no longer gave a bugger),so I can only assume that this is standard in the UK and carries overto French licences upon exchange. I appear also to be able to drive a12 tonne truck, and I can just imagine how much fun that would be. Inotice that the rights to drive these catagories of vehicle have verylimited lifespans, at least on my licence, and will expire in a coupleof years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidge Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 HiI think the newer models (2002 onwards) of the 110 defender (lwb) have this 2+3+4 seat formation.... but we were initially looking for an older one (budget probs!) which seem to mostly have a 3 + 8 formation (3 in the front and then 2 benches seating 4 each in the back). From what we've heard, it sounds as if you couldn't legally register an older defender in France without probs, as the maximum limit of 9 seats would have been breached. We've been told that they're quite strict and look at the number of seats that the vehicle was manufactured to seat rather than how many seats it currently has (scuppering plans to remove some of the bench seats to create a vehicle that seats 9 or less before we move over!!). How many seats does your 90 have? I think that we're going to have to look at a smaller swb instead to get around this issue..... Does anyone else know/had any probs with this maximum seat issue?!Thanks Squidge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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