CDL Licenses for RVers?

November 15, 2009

by Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
as appeared on RV Home Yet? November 10, 2009

Last Saturday, a 72-year-old man was driving a 2008 Allegro RV on I-65 in Indiana, pulling a horse trailer. He was driving in the fast lane. When traffic halted, he put on the gas instead of the brake, plowing into a van with a couple and their two young children. The van was pushed into a truck, which then hit three more vehicles. Traffic on I-65 was closed for several hours.
cdl

The driver of the RV was cited for driving in the fast lane illegally, driving a vehicle-trailer combination exceeding the maximum length and speeding when required to reduce speed. He also was given a warning for having an expired trailer registration plate.

It’s accidents like these that make some people – and some states- believe that RVers should be required to have a CDL, or at least a special license, in order to drive an RV or combination over 26,000 pounds (see photo). While having a CDL doesn’t mean that it will stop drivers from doing something stupid or being poor drivers, but it would mean that RV drivers of big rigs would need to know the law in order to be licensed and possibly pass a special driving test to make sure they can safely operate their RV.

Some states already require that drivers of large RVs have a special license. Changing Gears has a list of all states and notes which ones require a CDL or special license.Of the popular domiciles for RVers – South Dakota, Florida and Texas – only Texas requires a non-commercial A or B license for RVs over a certain size.

What do you think? Should RVers with large rigs be required to have a CDL or non-commercial driver’s license? What it improve safety on the road? Would an accident like the one above possibly have been avoided had this man been required to have a special license? Leave a comment. Let us know what you think

Please add your comment below or email Jamie at calamityjaimie@gmail.com

reprinted with permission

Posted by RVchurchesUSA | Filed Under RV Lifestyle, Uncategorized 

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