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

Weight not to be exceeded in any circumstances

1.—(1) Subject to paragraph 2, the maximum authorised weight for a vehicle combination of a description of vehicle specified in column (2) of an item in Table III and having the number of axles specified in column (3) shall be the weight specified in column (4) of the item.

TABLE III

(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Item	Description of combination	Number of axles	Maximum authorised weight (kg)
1.	Articulated vehicle	3	26000
2.	Rigid motor vehicle towing a trailer satisfying the condition specified in sub-paragraph (2)	3	26000
3.	Rigid motor vehicle not falling within item 2 drawing a trailer	3	22000
4.	Articulated vehicle satisfying the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (3)	4	38000
5.	Articulated vehicle not falling within item 4	4	36000
6.	Rigid motor vehicle towing a trailer satisfying the condition specified in sub-paragraph (2)	4	36000
7.	Rigid motor vehicle not falling within item 6 drawing a trailer	4	30000
8.	Articulated vehicle	5 or more	40000
9.	Rigid motor vehicle towing a trailer satisfying the condition specified in sub-paragraph (2)	5 or more	40000
10.	Rigid motor vehicle not falling within item 9 drawing a trailer	5 or more	34000
11.	Articulated vehicle satisfying the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (4)	6 or more	41000
12.	Rigid motor vehicle towing a trailer satisfying each of the conditions specified in sub-paragraphs (2) and (4)	6 or more	41000

(2) The condition referred to in items 2, 6, 9 and 12 of Table III is that the distance between the rear axle of the motor vehicle and the front axle of the trailer is not less than 3 m.

(3) The conditions referred to in item 4 of Table III are that—

(a) the combination consists of a 2-axle tractor unit and a 2-axle semi-trailer;

(b) the weight of the tractor unit comprised in the combination does not exceed 18000 kg;

(c) the sum of the axle weights of the semi-trailer does not exceed 20000 kg; and

(d) the driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and road friendly suspension.

(4) The conditions referred to in items 11 and 12 of Table III are that—

(a) the axle weight of each driving axle does not exceed 10500 kg; and

(b) either—

(i) each driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and road friendly suspension; or

(ii) each driving axle which is not a steering axle is fitted with twin tyres and the axle weight of each such axle does not exceed 8500 kg;

(c) each axle of the trailer is fitted with road friendly suspension; and

(d) each vehicle comprised in the combination has at least 3 axles.