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

Length

6.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (10), the overall length of a vehicle or combination of vehicles of a class specified in an item in column 2 of the Table shall not exceed the maximum length specified in that item in column 3 of the Table, the overall length in the case of a combination of vehicles being calculated in accordance with regulation 94(l)(g) and (h).

(2) In the case of a motor vehicle drawing one trailer where—

(a)the motor vehicle is a showman’s vehicle as defined in paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to the 1972 Act; and

(b)the trailer is a living van,

item 1 in the Table applies with the substitution of 22m for 18m and item 2 in the Table does not apply.

(3) Items 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Table do not apply to—

(a)a vehicle combination which includes a trailer which is constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length, or

(b)a vehicle combination consisting of a broken down vehicle (including an articulated vehicle) being drawn by a motor vehicle in consequence of a breakdown, or

(c)an articulated vehicle, the semi-trailer of which is a low loader manufactured before 1st April 1991.

(4) Items 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the Table do not apply to—

(a)a trailer which is constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length,

(b)a broken down vehicle (including an articulated vehicle) which is being drawn by a motor vehicle in consequence of a breakdown, or

(c)a trailer being a drying or mixing plant designed for the production of asphalt or of bituminous or tar macadam and used mainly for the construction, repair or maintenance of roads, or a road planing machine so used.

(5) Furthermore item 9 does not apply to—

(a)a semi-trailer which is a car transporter,

(b)a semi-trailer which is normally used on international journeys any part of which takes place outside the United Kingdom.

(6) Item 2 and the words “(other than a motor vehicle such as is mentioned in item 2)” in item 1 of the Table shall cease to have effect after 31st December 2006.

(7) Where a motor vehicle is drawing—

(a)two trailers, then only one of those trailers may exceed an overall length of 7m;

(b)three trailers, then none of those trailers shall exceed an overall length of 7m.

(8) Where a motor vehicle is drawing—

(a)two or more trailers; or

(b)one trailer constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length—

then—

(i)the overall length of that motor vehicle shall not exceed 9.2m; and

(ii)the overall length of the combination of vehicles, calculated in accordance with regulation 94(l)(g) and (h), shall not exceed 25.9m, unless the conditions specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part I of Schedule 15 have been complied with.

(9) The requirements of this paragraph, in relation to a combination of vehicles, are that at least one of the vehicles in the combination is not a goods vehicle or, if both vehicles in the combination are goods vehicles that—

(a)the maximum distance measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the combination of vehicles from the foremost point of the loading area behind the driver’s cab to the rear of the trailer, less the distance between the rear of the motor vehicle and the front of the trailer, does not exceed 15.65m; and

(b)the maximum distance measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the combination of vehicles from the foremost point of the loading area behind the driver’s cab to the rear of the trailer does not exceed 16.4m;

but sub-paragraph (a) shall not apply if both vehicles in the combination are car transporters.

(10) The requirements of this paragraph, in relation to a semi-trailer, are that—

(a)the longitudinal distance from the axis of the king-pin to the rear of the semi-trailer does not exceed—

(i)12.5m in the case of a car transporter, or

(ii)12m in any other case; and

(b)no point in the semi-trailer forward of the transverse plane passing through the axis of the king-pin is more than—

(i)4.19m from the axis of the king-pin, in the case of a car transporter, or

(ii)2.04m from the axis of the king-pin, in any other case.

(11) For the purposes of paragraph (9)—

(a)where the forward end of the loading area of a motor vehicle is bounded by a wall, the thickness of the wall shall be regarded as part of the loading area; and

(b)any part of a vehicle designed primarily for use as a means of attaching another vehicle to it and any fitting designed for use in connection with any such part shall be disregarded in determining the distance between the rear of a motor vehicle and the front of a trailer being drawn by it.

(12) For the purpose of paragraph (10) the longitudinal distance from the axis of the king-pin to the rear of a semi-trailer is the distance between a transverse plane passing through the axis of the king-pin and the rear of the semi-trailer.

(13) A motor vehicle drawing a trailer which is not a semi-trailer shall (unless it is a vehicle such as is mentioned in item 3 of the Table in paragraph (1)) comply with the requirements of paragraph (16).

(14) Where a semi-trailer has more than one king-pin or is constructed so that it can be used with a king-pin in different positions, references in this regulation to a distance from the king-pin shall be construed—

(a)in relation to a vehicle which was manufactured after 20th July 1999, as a reference to the foremost king-pin or the foremost king-pin position; and

(b)in relation to any other vehicle, as a reference to the rearmost king-pin or the rearmost king-pin position.

(15) For the purposes of paragraphs (9), (10) and (12)—

(a)a reference to the front of a vehicle is a reference to the transverse plane passing through the extreme forward projecting points of the vehicle; and

(b)a reference to the rear of a vehicle is a reference to the transverse plane passing through the extreme rearward projecting points of the vehicle,

inclusive (in each case) of all parts of the vehicle, of any receptacle which is of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough for repeated use, and any fitting on, or attached to the vehicle but exclusive of—

(i)the things set out in sub-paragraph (i) of the definition of “overall length” in regulation 2(l), and

(ii)in the case of a semi-trailer, the things set out in sub-paragraph (ii)(a) of that definition.

(16) Where a broken articulated vehicle is being towed by a motor vehicle in consequence of a breakdown—

(a)paragraph (8) shall have effect in relation to the combination of vehicles as if sub-paragraph (b) were omitted, and

(b)for the purposes of paragraph (7) and of paragraph (8) as so modified, the articulated vehicle shall be regarded as a single trailer.

(17) No person shall use or cause or permit to be used on a road, a trailer with an overall length exceeding 18.65m unless the requirements of paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part I of Schedule 15 are complied with.