The latest version has just been released June 2013 and links can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval-manuals
and
http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/publications/manualsandguides/vehicletestingmanualsandguides.htm
Direct PDF http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/M1%20IVA%20Inspection%20Manual.pdf
ShareYou want to tow a caravan for holidays, to a rod run etc? Or maybe you want to trailer home a new project? Your car has a tow bar fitted & your mate has a trailer, you’re good to go? Maybe, maybe not, read on…….
Licence entitlement.
When did you pass your test? If it was before 1/1/1997, (and you haven’t been disqualified since that date for any period) you are pretty well covered to tow any legally matched car/trailer combination as your licence will carry “B+E” entitlement. If it was after that date you will only have a “B” category licence so see below as you are restricted to the following:
Rushing to get your build finished for the 31st March to catch the end of SVA ?
We received confirmation today of the bad news that, although the test officially finishes at the end of March, the stations are actually being closed for that month while the testers are being retrained on the still to be agreed BIVA / IVA regulations.
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It has become apparent as we visit forums and reply to e-mails that many people are being misinformed as to the nature of the proposed new test based on exemptions from existing European law. We are simply amazed by the amount of misinformation and pub expert talk out there.
IVA is the overall scheme aimed at mainstream small manufacturers and replaces the old ESVA (Enhanced Single Vehicle Approval) whilst BIVA (Basic Individual Vehicle Assessment) is the replacement for SVA.
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Here are some details of the proposed new basic Individual Vehicle Approval (BIVA) scheme versus the existing Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) scheme.
From 29 April 2025, the SVA test will no longer be available. It will be replaced by a similar test known as Basic IVA or BIVA. The new BIVA scheme will apply to new vehicles and vehicles up to 10 years old and will permit certain alternative standards such as US and Canadian standards, as is the case with SVA.
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Due to the workings of the EU they essentially bring a piece of legislation into law and then ask if there is anything wrong with it. As part of the Whole Vehicle Approval that will come into effect in April 2009 a member State is allowed a system of BIVA (Basic Individual Vehicle Assessment) .
Because of our motoring heritage we are one of the few member States to whom this would apply and hence a draft BIVA has been put together. This is currently the SVA rewritten with only a few ‘tweaks’. Bear in mind that car modifying is virtually nonexistent, in the form that we have, across the bulk of Europe. This draft will shortly be up for consultation via the DfT before onward transmission to the EU for their agreement. Do not believe that this BIVA document is how it will definitely turn out, it is only a draft proposal, the EU may well not allow it through unchanged. Any changes would make it harder to comply but some would stop home and low volume building at a stroke.
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