Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989 (“the 1989 Regulations”).

With the exception of a locomotive (not being an agricultural motor vehicle) and a refrigerated vehicle, each of which is already subject to a maximum overall width of 2.75 and 2.6 metres respectively, the maximum overall width of any other motor vehicle is increased from 2.5 metres to 2.55 metres.

The same increase in maximum overall width also applies in the case of—

(i) a trailer drawn by a motor vehicle having a maximum gross weight exceeding 3,500 kg;

(ii) an agricultural trailer;

(iii) an agricultural trailed appliance;

(iv) an off-set combination of an agricultural motor vehicle drawing a wheeled trailer; and

(v) an agricultural, horticultural or forestry implement mounted rigidly but not permanently on a wheeled agricultural motor vehicle, agricultural trailer or agricultural trailed appliance.

The definition of “overall width” in regulation 2(1) of the 1989 Regulations is amended so that in calculating the overall width of a vehicle, any guide-wheels fitted to a bus can be disregarded provided that they do not project more than 75mm beyond the side of the bus.