The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

FINSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT

Speedometers

35.—(1) Save as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), every motor vehicle shall be fitted with a speedometer which, if the vehicle is first used on or after 1st April 1984, shall be capable of indicating speed in both miles per hour and kilometres per hour, either simultaneously or, by the operation of a switch, separately.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to—

(a)a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph;

(b)a vehicle which it is at all times unlawful to drive at more than 25 mph;

(c)an agricultural motor vehicle which is not driven at more than 20 mph;

(d)a motor cycle first used before 1st April 1984 the engine of which has a cylinder capacity not exceeding 100 cc;

(e)an invalid carriage first used before 1st April 1984;

(f)a works truck first used before 1st April 1984;

(g)a vehicle first used before 1st October 1937; or

(h)a vehicle equipped with recording equipment marked with a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 5 of the Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 3 in Schedule 4 to those Regulations (whether or not the vehicle is required to be equipped with that equipment) and which, as regards the visual indications given by that equipment of the speed of the vehicle, complies with the requirements relating to the said indications and installations specified in the Community Recording Equipment Regulation.

(3) Instead of complying with paragraph (1) a vehicle may comply with Community Directive 75/443 or with ECE Regulation 39.

Maintenance of speedometers

36.—(1) Every instrument for indicating speed fitted to a motor vehicle—

(a)in compliance with the requirements of regulation 35(1) or (3); or

(b)to which regulation 35(2)(h) relates and which is not, under the Community Recording Equipment Regulation, required to be equipped with the recording equipment mentioned in that paragraph,

shall be kept free from any obstruction which might prevent its being easily read and shall at all material times be maintained in good working order.

(2) In this regulation “all material times” means all times when the motor vehicle is in use on a road except when—

(a)the vehicle is being used on a journey during which, as a result of a defect, the instrument ceased to be in good working order; or

(b) as a result of a defect, the instrument has ceased to be in good working order and steps have been taken to have the vehicle equipped with all reasonable expedition, by means of repairs or replacement, with an instrument which is in good working order.

Audible warning instruments

37.—(1) (a) Subject to sub-paragraph (b), every motor vehicle which has a maximum speed of more than 20 mph shall be fitted with a horn, not being a reversing alarm or a two-tone horn.

(b)Sub-paragraph (a) shall not apply to an agricultural motor vehicle, unless it is being driven at more than 20 mph.

(2) Subject to paragraph (6), the sound emitted by any horn, other than a reversing alarm or a two-tone horn, fitted to a wheeled vehicle first used on or after 1st August 1973 shall be continuous and uniform and not strident.

(3) A reversing alarm fitted to a wheeled vehicle shall not be strident.

(4) Subject to paragraphs (5), (6) and (7) no motor vehicle shall be fitted with a bell, gong, siren or two-tone horn.

(5) The provisions of paragraph (4) shall not apply to motor vehicles—

(a)used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes;

(b)owned by a body formed primarily for the purposes of fire salvage and used for those or similar purposes;

(c)owned by the Forestry Commission or by local authorities and used from time to time for the purposes of fighting fires;

(d)owned by the Secretary of State for Defence and used for the purposes of the disposal of bombs or explosives;

(e)used for the purposes of the Blood Transfusion Service provided under the National Health Service Act 1977 or under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947;

(f)used by Her Majesty's Coastguard or the Coastguard Auxiliary Service to aid persons in danger or vessels in distress on or near the coast;

(g)owned by the National Coal Board and used for the purposes of rescue operations at mines;

(h)owned by the Secretary of State for Defence and used by the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service for the purposes of rescue operations in connection with crashed aircraft or any other emergencies; or

(i)owned by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and used for the purposes of launching lifeboats.

(6) The provisions of paragraphs (2) and (4) shall not apply so as to make it unlawful for a motor vehicle to be fitted with an instrument or apparatus (not being a two-tone horn) designed to emit a sound for the purpose of informing members of the public that goods are on the vehicle for sale.

(7) Subject to paragraph (8), the provisions of paragraph (4) shall not apply so as to make it unlawful for a vehicle to be fitted with a bell, gong or siren—

(a)if the purpose thereof is to prevent theft or attempted theft of the vehicle or its contents; or

(b)in the case of a bus, if the purpose thereof is to summon help for the driver, the conductor or an inspector.

(8) Every bell, gong or siren fitted to a vehicle by virtue of paragraph (7)(a), and every device fitted to a motor vehicle first used on or after 1st October 1982 so as to cause a horn to sound for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (7)(a), shall be fitted with a device designed to stop the bell, gong, siren or horn emitting noise for a continuous period of more than five minutes; and every such device shall at all times be maintained in good working order.

(9) Instead of complying with paragraphs (1), (2) and (4) to (8), a vehicle may comply with Community Directive 70/388 or ECE Regulation 28 or, if the vehicle is an agricultural motor vehicle, with Community Directive 74/151.

(10) In this regulation and in regulation 99—

(a)“horn” means an instrument, not being a bell, gong or siren, capable of giving audible and sufficient warning of the approach or position of the vehicle to which it is fitted;

(b) references to a bell, gong or siren include references to any instrument or apparatus capable of emitting a sound similar to that emitted by a bell, gong or siren;

(c)“reversing alarm” means a device fitted to a motor vehicle and designed to warn persons that the vehicle is reversing or is about to reverse; and

(d)“two-tone horn” means an instrument which, when operated, automatically produces a sound which alternates at regular intervals between two fixed notes.

Motor cycle sidestands

38.—(1) No motor cycle first used on or after 1st April 1986 shall be fitted with any sidestand which is capable of—

(a)disturbing the stability or direction of the motor cycle when it is in motion under its own power; or

(b)closing automatically if the angle of the inclination of the motor cycle is inadvertently altered when it is stationary.

(2) In this regulation “sidestand” means a device fitted to a motor cycle which, when fully extended or pivoted to its open position, supports the vehicle from one side only and so that both the wheels of the motor cycle are on the ground.