Motor Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations make new provision for the weights of wheeled motor vehicles and trailers which fall within category M2, M3, N2, N3, O3 or O4 of the vehicle categories defined in Annex II of Council Directive 70/156/EEC as amended. They do not apply to vehicle combinations that meet the requirements for combined transport in Schedule 9A to the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989.

Regulation 4 introduces the three Schedules, which respectively lay down maximum authorised weights for individual vehicles (Schedule 1), for vehicle combinations (Schedule 2) and for axle weights (Schedule 3), and prohibits the use of a vehicle on a road if any of these weights are exceeded.

A vehicle which complies with the provisions of regulations 73 to 77 of the 1989 Regulations is taken to comply with these Regulations (regulation 4(2)).

The new weight limits are, in accordance with regulation 5, also subject to the overriding limit in regulation 78 of the 1989 Regulations, to which amendments are made by the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment No. 5) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999.

These Regulations have been notified to the European Commission pursuant to European Parliament and Council Directive 98/34/EC of 22nd June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (O.J. No. L204, 21.7.98, p. 37).

Copies of Directives may be obtained from The Stationery Office Bookshop, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast BT1 4GD.