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

Turning circle — articulated vehicles incorporating a car transporter

17.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), this regulation applies to an articulated vehicle having an overall length exceeding 15.5m, the semi-trailer of which is a car transporter.

(2) This regulation does not apply to an articulated vehicle, the semi-trailer of which satisfied the following conditions—

(a) it was manufactured before the 1st April 1990, and

(b) the distance from the front of the trailer to the rearmost axle is no greater than it was on that date.

(3) This regulation does not apply to an articulated vehicle the semi-trailer of which is—

(a) a low loader, or

(b) a stepframe low loader.

(4) Every articulated vehicle to which this regulation applies shall be able to move on either lock so that, both with and without all its wheels in contact with the surface of the road and disregarding the things set out in paragraphs (a) to (m) in the definition of “overall width” and in sub-paragraph (i)(a) to (o) in the definition of “overall length” in regulation 2(1), no part of—

(a) the motor vehicle drawing the car transporter, or

(b) the car transporter to the rear of the transverse plane passing through the king-pin,

projects outside the area between concentric circles with radii of 12.5m and 5.3m.

(5) In relation to a vehicle manufactured before 20th April 1999 paragraph (4) shall have effect as if the words “both with and without all its wheels in contact with the surface of the road” were omitted.

(6) An articulated vehicle shall be taken to comply with paragraph (4) if the semi-trailer comprised in it is, by virtue of paragraph 7.6.1.2 of Annex I of Community Directive 97/27/EC, deemed to comply with paragraph 7.6.1 of that Annex.