Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

B —Dimensions of Laden Vehicles

Restrictions on use of vehicles carrying wide or long loads or having fixed appliances or apparatus

94.—(1) For the purposes of this regulation and Schedule 15—

(a)“lateral projection”, in relation to a load carried by a vehicle, means that part of the load which extends beyond a side of the vehicle;

(b)the width of any lateral projection shall be measured between the longitudinal planes passing through the extreme projecting point of the vehicle on that side on which the projection lies and that part of the projection furthest from that point;

(c)references to a special appliance or apparatus, in relation to a vehicle, are references to any crane or other special appliance or apparatus fitted to the vehicle which is a permanent or essentially permanent fixture;

(d)“forward projection” and “rearward projection”—

(i)in relation to a load carried in such a manner that its weight rests on is borne by only one vehicle, mean respectively that part of the load which extends beyond the foremost point of the vehicle and that part which extends beyond the rearmost point of the vehicle;

(ii)in relation to a load carried in such a manner that part of its weight rests on is borne by more than one vehicle, mean respectively that part of the load which extends beyond the foremost point of the foremost vehicle by which the load is carried and that part of the load which extends beyond the rearmost point of the rearmost vehicle by which the load is carried; and

(iii)in relation to any special appliance or apparatus, mean respectively that part of the appliance or apparatus which, if it were deemed to be a load carried by the vehicle, would be a part of a load extending beyond the foremost point of the vehicle and that part which would be a part of a load extending beyond the rearmost point of the vehicle, and references in Schedule 15 to a forward projection or to a rearward projection in relation to a vehicle shall be construed accordingly;

(e)the length of any forward projection or of any rearward projection shall be measured between transverse planes passing—

(i)in the case of a forward projection, through the foremost point of the vehicle and that part of the projection furthest from that point; and

(ii)in the case of a rearward projection, through the rearmost point of the vehicle and that part of the projection furthest from that point.

In this sub-paragraph and sub-paragraph (d)(i) and (ii) “vehicle” does not include any special appliance or apparatus or any part thereof which is a forward projection or a rearward projection;

(f)references to the distance between vehicles, in relation to vehicles carrying a load, are references to the distance between the nearest points of any two adjacent vehicles by which the load is carried, measured when the longitudinal axis of each vehicle lies in the same vertical plane.

For the purposes of this sub-paragraph, in determining the nearest point of two vehicles any part of either vehicle designed primarily for use as a means of attaching one vehicle tothe other and any fitting designed for use in connection with any such part shall be disregarded;

(g)references to a combination of vehicles, in relation to a motor vehicle which is drawing one or more trailers, are references to the motor vehicle and the trailers drawn thereby, including any other motor vehicle which is used for the purpose of assisting in the propulsion of the trailers on the road;

(h)the overall length of a combination of vehicles shall be taken as the distance between the foremost point of the drawing vehicle comprised in the combination and the rearmost point of the rearmost vehicle comprised therein, measured when the longitudinal axis of each vehicle comprised in the combination lies in the same vertical plane;

(i)the extreme projecting point of a vehicle is the point from which the overall width of the vehicle is calculated in accordance with the definition of overall width in regulation 2(1);

(j)without prejudice to sub-paragraph (e) the foremost or, as the case may be, the rearmost point of a vehicle is the foremost or rearmost point from which the overall length of the vehicle is calculated in accordance with the definition of overall length in regulation 2(1); and

(k)an agricultural, horticultural or forestry implement rigidly but not permanently mounted on an agricultural motor vehicle, agricultural trailer or agricultural trailed appliance, whether or not part of its weight is supported by one or more of its own wheels, shall not be treated as a load, or special appliance, on that vehicle.

(2) A load shall not be carried on a vehicle so that the overall width of the vehicle together with the width of any lateral projection or projections of its load exceeds 4.3 m.

(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) to (14) a load shall not be carried on a vehicle so that—

(a)the load has a lateral projection on either side exceeding 305 mm; or

(b)the overall width of the vehicle and of any lateral projection of its load exceeds 2.9 m.

(4) Paragraph (3) does not apply to the carriage of—

(i)loose agricultural produce not baled or crated; or

(ii)an indivisible load if—

(A)it is not reasonably practicable to comply with this paragraph and the conditions specified in paragraphs 1 and 5 of Part I of Schedule 15 are complied with; and

(B)where the overall width of the vehicle together with the width of any lateral projection of its load exceeds 3.5 m, the conditions specified in paragraph 2 of Part I of Schedule 15 are complied with.

(5) Where a load is carried so that its weight rests on a vehicle the length specified in paragraph (7) shall not exceed 27.4 m.

(6) A load shall not be carried so that its weight is borne by a vehicle or vehicles if either—

(a)the length specified in paragraph (7) exceeds 18.65 m; or

(b)the load is borne by a trailer or trailers and the length specified in paragraph (8) exceeds 25.9 m, unless the conditions specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part I of Schedule 15 are complied with.

(7) The length referred to in paragraphs (5) and (6)(a) is—

(a)where the load rests on weight of the load is borne by a single vehicle, the overall length of the vehicle together with the length of any forward and rearward projection of the load;

(b)where the load rests on weight of the load is borne by a motor vehicle and one trailer, whether or not forming an articulated vehicle, the overall length of the trailer together with the length of any projection of the load in front of the foremost point of the trailer and of any rearward projection of the load; and

(c)in any other case, the overall length of all the vehicles on which the load rests which bear the weight of the load, together with the length of any distance between them and of any forward or rearward projection of the load.

(8) The length referred to in paragraph (6)(b) is the overall length of the combination of vehicles, together with the length of any forward or rearward projection of the load.

(9) Subject to paragraphs (10) to (14) a person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle, not being a straddle carrier, carrying a load or fitted with a special appliance or apparatus if the load, appliance or apparatus has a forward projection of a length specified in an item in column 2 of the Table, or rearward projection of a length specified in an item in column 3, unless the conditions in the paragraphs specified in that item in column 4 are complied with.

(10) Subject to paragraphs (11) to (14) a person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a straddle carrier carrying a load if—

(a)the load has rearward projection exceeding 1m unless the conditions specified in paragraph 4 of Part I of Schedule 15 are met;

(b)the load has a forward projection exceeding 2m or a rearward projection exceeding 3m; or

(c)the overall length of the vehicle together with the length of any forward projection and of any rearward projection of its load exceeds 12.2m.

(11) (a) paragraph (10)(a) does not apply to a vehicle being used in passing from one part of private premises to another part thereof or to other private premises in the immediate neighbourhood;

(b)paragraph (10)(b) and (c) do not apply to a vehicle being used as mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) if—

(i)the vehicle is not being driven at a speed exceeding 12 mph; and

(ii)where the overall length of the vehicle together with the length of any forward projection and of any rearward projection of its load exceeds 12.2m, the conditions specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part I of Schedule 15 are complied with.

(12) Where another vehicle is attached to that end of a vehicle from which a projection extends, then for the purposes of any requirement in this regulation to comply with paragraph 3 or 4 of Part I of Schedule 15, that projection shall be treated as a forward or rearward projection only if, and to the extent that, it extends beyond the foremost point or, as the case may be, the rearmost point, of that other vehicle, measured when the longitudinal axis of each vehicle lies in the same vertical plane.

(13) In the case of a vehicle being used—

(a)for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or for defence purposes (including civil defence purposes); or

(b)in connection with the removal of any obstruction to traffic, if compliance with any provision of this regulation would hinder or be likely to hinder the use of the vehicle for the purpose for which it is being used, that provision does not apply to that vehicle while it is being so used.

(14) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road an agricultural, horticultural or forestry implement rigidly, but not permanently, mounted on a wheeled agricultural motor vehicle, agricultural trailer, or agricultural trailed appliance, whether or not part of its weight is supported by one or more of its own wheels, if—

(a)the overall width of the vehicle together with the lateral projection of the implement exceeds 2.55m; or

(b)the implement projects more than 1m forwards or rearwards of the vehicle,

so however, that this restriction shall not apply in a case where—

(i)part of the weight of the implement is supported by one or more of its own wheels; and

(ii)the longitudinal axis of the greater part of the implement is capable of articulating in the horizontal plane in relation to the longitudinal axis of the rear portion of the vehicle.