Road Traffic Act 1972

40 Regulation of construction, weight, equipment and use of vehicles

(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations generally as to the use of motor vehicles and trailers on roads, their construction and equipment and the conditions under which they may be so used, and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions, may make regulations with respect to any of the following matters:—

(a) the width, height and length of motor vehicles and trailers and the load carried thereby, the diameter of wheels, and the width, nature and condition of tyres, of motor vehicles and trailers ;

(b) the emission or consumption of smoke, fumes or vapour and the emission of sparks, ashes and grit;

(c) noise;

(d) the maximum weight unladen of heavy locomotives and heavy motor cars, and the maximum weight laden of motor vehicles and trailers, and the maximum weight to be transmitted to the road or any specified area thereof by a motor vehicle or trailer of any class or by any part or parts of such a vehicle or trailer in contact with the road, and the conditions under which the weights may be required to be tested ;

(e) the particulars to be marked on motor vehicles and trailers;

(f) the towing of or drawing of vehicles by motor vehicles;

(g) the number and nature of brakes, and for securing that brakes, silencers and steering gear shall be efficient and kept in proper working order ;

(h) the testing and inspection, by persons authorised by or under the regulations, of the brakes, silencers, steering gear, tyres, lighting equipment and reflectors of motor vehicles and trailers on any premises where they are, subject however to the consent of the owner of the premises;

(i) the appliances to be fitted for signalling the approach of a motor vehicle, or enabling the driver of a motor vehicle to become aware of the approach of another vehicle from the rear, or for intimating any intended change of speed or direction of a motor vehicle, and the use of any such appliance, and for securing that they shall be efficient and kept in proper working order;

(j) for prohibiting the use of appliances fitted to motor vehicles for signalling their approach, being appliances for signalling by sound, at any times, or on or in any roads or localities, specified in the regulations.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions, the Secretary of State may, as respects goods vehicles, make regulations under this section—

(a) prescribing other descriptions of weight which are not to be exceeded in the case of such vehicles ;

(b) providing for the marking on such vehicles of weights of any description or other particulars by means of plates (of any material) fixed thereto ;

(c) providing for the circumstances in which any particulars which are to be marked on such vehicles are to be so marked;

(d) providing that weights of any description or other particulars which are to be marked on particular goods vehicles may be determined in accordance with regulations under section 45 of this Act.

(3) Different regulations may be made under this section as respects different classes of vehicles or as respects the same class of vehicles in different circumstances and as respects different times of the day or night and as respects roads in different localities.

(4) In framing regulations under this section prescribing a weight of any description which is not to be exceeded in the case of goods vehicles of a class for which a manufacturer's certificate or Minister's approval certificate may be issued under section 47 of this Act the Secretary of State shall have regard to the design weight of the like description determined by virtue of the said section 47 for vehicles of that class and shall secure that the first-mentioned weight shall not exceed the design weight.

(5) Subject to the provisions of this section and sections 41 and 42 of this Act, a person—

(a) who contravenes or fails to comply with any regulations under this section ; or

(b) who uses on a road a motor vehicle or trailer which does not comply with any such regulations or causes or permits a vehicle to be so used,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(6) In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (5) above in which there is alleged a contravention of or failure to comply with a construction and use requirement relating to any description of weight applicable to a goods vehicle, it shall be a defence to prove either—

(a) that at the time when the vehicle was being used on the road it was proceeding to a weighbridge which was the nearest available one to the place where the loading of the vehicle was completed for the purpose of being weighed, or was proceeding from a weighbridge after being weighed to the nearest point at which it was reasonably practicable to reduce the weight to the relevant limit, without causing an obstruction on any road; or

(b) in a case where the limit of that weight was not exceeded by more than five per cent., that that limit was not exceeded at the time the loading of the vehicle was originally completed and that since that time no person has made any addition to the load.

(7) In this Part of this Act—

• " construction and use requirements " means requirements, whether applicable generally or at specified times or in specified circumstances, imposed under this section or by or under sections 68 to 79 of this Act;

• " plated particulars " means such particulars as are required to be marked on a goods vehicle in pursuance of regulations under this section by means of a plate ;

• " plated weights " means such weights as are required to be so marked.