Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Vehicles suitable for test

26.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a practical or unitary test prescribed in respect of a category or sub-category shown in column (1) of the Table shall be conducted in a vehicle having a specification equivalent to or (other than in the case of a test in respect of category F, G, H, K or P) higher than that shown in relation to that category or sub-category in column (2).

(2) Where an application for a practical test prescribed in respect of category A contains a declaration that the applicant is suffering from a relevant disability of such a nature that he is unable to ride a motor bicycle without a side-car, the applicant may take the test on a bicycle and side-car combination which has a power to weight ratio not exceeding 0.16 kw/kg.

(3) A person submitting himself for a practical or unitary test shall provide a vehicle which—

(a) corresponds to the specification referred to in paragraph (1) or (2), as the case may be;

(b) is not fitted with a device designed to permit a person other than the driver to operate the accelerator, unless any pedal or lever by which the device is operated and any other parts which it may be necessary to remove to make the device inoperable by such a person during the test have been removed;

(c) in the case of a test prescribed in respect of category B + E, C, C + E, D or D + E—

(i) is not carrying goods or burden other than fixed items which are characteristic of the class to which it belongs, and

(ii) is fitted with a seat which is firmly secured to the vehicle in such a position that the examiner can properly conduct the test and is protected from bad weather during the test;

(d) in the case of a test prescribed in respect of category D, is so constructed that the examiner can, from the deck of the vehicle on which the driver is seated, clearly observe the road to the rear of the vehicle without the use of any optical device, unless—

(i) the construction of the vehicle makes it impossible to fulfil that requirement, and

(ii) the examiner consents to the requirement not being complied with in consequence of an arrangement to conduct part of the test elsewhere than on a road;

(e) in the case of a test prescribed in respect of category B + E, C + E or D + E, is fitted with linkage and braking mechanisms which are designed for use when the trailer is fully laden; and

(f) is reasonably representative of the class to which it belongs and is otherwise suitable for the purposes of the test.

(4) For the purposes of the Table, “minimum test vehicle” means, in relation to any category, a vehicle of a specification shown in relation to the category or sub-category in column (2).

TABLE

Column (1)	Column (2)
Category	Specification
A in the case of a test conducted on or before 30th June 1997	A motor bicycle without a side-car having an engine with a cylinder capacity of not more than 250 cubic centimetres.
A in the case of a test conducted on or after 1st July 1997	A motor bicycle without a side-car having an engine with a cylinder capacity of over 120 cubic centimetres but not more than 125 cubic centimetres and capable of a speed of 100 kilometres per hour.
A1	A motor bicycle without a side-car having an engine with a cylinder capacity of 75 cubic centimetres but not more than 120 cubic centimetres.
B	Any four-wheeled vehicle in category B capable of a speed of 100 kilometres per hour.
B1 (invalid carriages)	An invalid carriage.
B1 in the case of any other test	Any vehicle in sub-category B1 capable of a speed of 60 kilometres per hour.
B + E	A combination of a minimum test vehicle for category B and a trailer having a maximum authorised mass of 1,000 kilograms which is capable of a speed of 100 kilometres per hour.
C1	Any vehicle in sub-category C1 having a maximum authorised mass of 4,000 kilograms and capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
C1 + E	A combination of a minimum test vehicle for sub-category C1 and a trailer having a maximum authorised mass of 2,000 kilograms, the overall length of which is 8 metres and which is capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
D1	Any vehicle in sub-category D1 capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
D1 + E	A combination of a minimum test vehicle for sub-category D1 and a trailer having a maximum authorised mass of 1,250 kilograms which is capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
C	Any vehicle in category C, other than an articulated goods vehicle, having a maximum authorised mass of 10,000 kilograms and a length of 7 metres which is capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
C + E	Either— (a) an articulated goods vehicle combination having a maximum authorised mass of 18,000 kilograms and a length of 12 metres which is capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour, or (b) a combination of a minimum test vehicle for category C and a trailer having a length of 4 metres and a maximum authorised mass of 4 tonnes, which has, in aggregate, a maximum authorised mass of 18,000 kilograms and an overall length of 12 metres and which is capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
D	Any vehicle in category D having a length of 9 metres and capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
D + E	A combination of a minimum test vehicle for category D and a trailer having a maximum authorised mass of 1,250 kilograms which is capable of a speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
F	Any vehicle in category F.
G	Any vehicle in category G.
H	Any vehicle in category H.
K	Any vehicle in category K.
P	Any vehicle in category P.