Statutory Instruments
ROAD TRAFFIC
Made
22nd February 1990
Laid before Parliament
26th February 1990
Coming into force
19th March 1990
The Secretary of State for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 41(1) and (5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988(1), as read with sections 43 of that Act, and of all other enabling powers, and after consultation with representative organisations in accordance with section 195(2) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:–
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 19th March 1990.
2.—(1) The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986(2) shall be further amended in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations.
(2) The Secretary of State is satisfied that–
(a)it is requisite that the provisions of regulation 5 shall apply as from 19th March 1990 to vehicles registered under the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971(3) before the expiration of one year from the making of these Regulations; and
(b)notwithstanding that the said provisions will then apply to those vehicles, no undue hardship or inconvenience will be caused thereby.
3.—(1) In the Table in regulation 3(2), the following entries shall be inserted in the appropriate places in alphabetical order–
| “car transporter | a trailer which is constructed and normally used for the purpose of carrying at least two other wheeled vehicles.” |
| “engineering equipment | engineering plant and any other plant or equipment designed and constructed for the purpose of engineering operations.” |
| “low loader | a semi-trailer which is constructed and nor mally used for the carriage of engineering equipment so constructed that the major part of the load platform does not extend over or between the wheels and the upper surface of which is below the height of the top most point of the tyres of those wheels, measured on level ground and when– (a)any adjustable suspension is at the normal travelling height, (b)all pneumatic tyres are suitably infl ated for use when the vehicle is fully laden, and (c)the semi-trailer is unladen, (see also the definition of stepframe low loader).” |
| “stepframe low loader | a semi-trailer (not being a low loader) which is constructed and normally used for the carriage of engineering equipment and is so constructed that the upper surface of the major part of the load platform is at a height of less than 1m above the ground when measured on level ground and when– (a)any adjustable suspension is at the normal travelling height, (b)all pneumatic tyres are suitably inflated for use when the vehicle is fully laden, and (c)the semi-trailer is unladen.” |
(2) In that Table, in paragraph (ii) in the definition of “overall length” for “regulation 7” there shall be substituted “regulations 7 and 13A”.
4.—(1) Regulation 7 shall be amended as follows.
(2) In the Table in paragraph (1)–
(a)in column 2 of item 3, after the words “An articulated vehicle” there shall be inserted the words “the semi-trailer of which does not meet the requirements of paragraph (6) and is not a low loader.”;
(b)after item 3 there shall be inserted the following items–
“3A An articulated vehicle, the semi-trailer of which meets the requirements of paragraph (6) and is not a low loader. | 16.5 |
3B An articulated vehicle, the semi-trailer of which is a low loader. | 18” |
(c)in column 2 of item 7, there shall be inserted after the words “after 1st of May 1983” the words “which does not meet the requirements of paragraph (6) and is not a low loader”; and
(d)after item 7 there shall be inserted the following item–
“7A A composite trailer drawn by– (a)a goods vehicle being a motor vehicle having a maximum gross weight exceeding 3500 kg; or (b)an agricultural motor vehicle | 14.04”. |
(e)in column 2 of item 8, after the word “trailer” where it first occurs there shall be inserted the words “(not being a semi-trailer or composite trailer)”.
(3) for paragraph (3) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs–
“(3) Items 1, 3, 3A and 3B of the Table do not apply to–
(a)a vehicle combination which includes a trailer which is constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length, or
(b)a vehicle combination consisting of a broken down vehicle (including an articulated vehicle) being drawn by a motor vehicle in consequence of a breakdown.
(3A) Items 6, 7, 7A, 8 and 9 of the Table do not apply to–
(a)a trailer which is constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length,
(b)a broken down vehicle (including an articulated vehicle) which is being drawn by a motor vehicle in consequence of a breakdown, or
(c)a trailer being a drying or mixing plant designed for the production of asphalt or of bituminous or tar macadam and used mainly for the construction, repair or maintenance of roads, or a road planing machine so used.
(3B) Furthermore item 7 does not apply to–
(a)a semi-trailer which is a car transporter,
(b)a semi-trailer which is normally used on international journeys any part of which takes place outside the United Kingdom.”.
(4) For paragraph (6) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs–
“(6) The requirements of this paragraph, in relation to a semi-trailer, are that–
(a)the longitudinal distance from the axis of the king pin or if there is more than one king pin, the foremost one, to the rear of the semi-trailer does not exceed–
(i)12.5m in the case of a car transporter, or
(ii)12m in any other case; and
(b)no point in the semi-trailer forward of the transverse plane passing through the axis of the king pin or, if there is more than one king pin, the rearmost one, is more than–
(i)4.19m from the axis of the king pin, in the case of a car transporter, or
(ii)2.04m from the axis of the king pin, in any other case.
(7) For the purpose of paragraph (6) the longitudinal distance from the axis of the king pin to the rear of a semi-trailer is the distance between a transverse plane passing through the axis of the king pin and the transverse plane passing through the extreme rearward projecting points of the semi-trailer inclusive of all parts of the vehicle, of any receptacle which is of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough for repeated use, and any fitting on, or attached to the vehicle but exclusive of the things set out in paragraphs (i) and (ii)(a) of the definition of “overall length” in the Table in regulation 3(2).
(8) Where a broken down articulated vehicle is being towed by a motor vehicle in consequence of a breakdown–
(a)paragraph (5) shall have effect in relation to the combination of vehicles as if sub-paragraph (b) were omitted, and
(b)for the purposes of paragraph (4) and of paragraph (5) as so modified, the articulated vehicle shall be regarded as a single trailer.”.
5.—(1) For the heading preceding regulation 13 there shall be substituted–
(2) After regulation 13 there shall be inserted–
13A—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), this regulation applies to an articulated vehicle having an overall length exceeding 15.
5m.
(2) This regulation does not apply to an articulated vehicle, the semi-trailer of which–
(a)was manufactured before the 1st April 1990,
(b)on that date, had an overall length exceeding 12.2m, and
(c)has an overall length that does not exceed the overall length it had on that date.
(3) This regulation does not apply to an articulated vehicle the semi-trailer of which is–
(a)a car transporter,
(b)a low loader,
(c)a stepframe low loader, or
(d)constructed and normally used for the conveyance of indivisible loads of exceptional length.
(4) Every vehicle to which this regulation applies shall be able to move on either lock so that, disregarding the things set out in paragraph (i)(a) to (m) in the definition of “overall width” in the Table in regulation 3(2), no part of it projects outside the area contained between concentric circles with radii of 12.5m and 5.3m.
13B—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) this regulation applies to an articulated vehicle having an overall length exceeding 15.
5m, the semi-trailer of which is a car transporter.
(2) This regulation does not apply to an articulated vehicle, the semi-trailer of which satisfied the following conditions–
(a)it was manufactured before the 1st April 1990, and
(b)the distance from the front of the trailer to the rearmost axle is no greater than it was on that date.
(3) This regulation does not apply to an articulated vehicle the semi-trailer of which is–
(a)a low loader, or
(b)a stepframe low loader.
(4) Every articulated vehicle to which this regulation applies shall be able to move on either lock so that, disregarding the things set out in paragraph (i)(a) to (m) in the definition of “overall width” in the Table in regulation 3(2), no part of–
(a)the motor vehicle drawing the car transporter, or
(b)the car transporter to the rear of the transverse plane passing through the king pin,
projects outside the area between concentric circles with radii of 12.5m and 5.3m.”.
6. In regulation 10(4), the definition of “engineering equipment” shall be omitted.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
Robert Atkins
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department of Transport
22nd February 1990
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
1. These Regulations further amend the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 by increasing the permitted overall length of articulated vehicles and of semi-trailers so long as certain conditions are met.
2. Previously the maximum permitted overall length of an articulated vehicle was 15.5 metres whenever manufactured and of a semi-trailer manufactured on or after 1st May 1983, 12.2 metres.
3. These lengths are increased to 16.5 metres and 14.04 metres so long as:
(a)the longitudinal distance between the axis of the king pin and the rear of the semi-trailer does not exceed 12 metres, (12.5 in the case of a car transporter) and
(b)no point on the front of the semi-trailer is more than 2.04 metres (4.19 metres in the case of a car transporter) from the axis of the king pin.
4. The maximum length of an articulated vehicle incorporating a low loader is extended to 18 metres. This does not apply to stepframe low loaders. Definitions of “low loader” and “stepframe low loader” are inserted in regulation 3 of the 1986 Regulations.
5. The maximum length of a composite vehicle is extended to 14.04 metres provided it is being drawn by a goods vehicle with a weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes or an agricultural motor vehicle. A composite trailer is defined in regulation 3(2) of the 1986 Regulations as a combination of a converter dolly and a semi-trailer.
6. Provision is made in respect of the turning circle of articulated vehicles with an overall length exceeding 15.5 metres. These provisions do not apply to low loaders or stepframe low loaders.
7. In so far as the amendments relate to vehicles registered or put into circulation in any Member State of the EEC other than the UK, they are made in consequence of Council Directive 85/3/EEC (OJ No. L22, 3.1.1985, p14) as read with Council Directive 89/461/EEC (OJ No. L22, 3.8.89, p7).
8. The Regulations also make a minor amendment to the Table in regulation 7(1) of the 1986 Regulations so as to make it clear that the 12 metre limit on certain trailers with at least 4 wheels does not apply to semi-trailers. The opportunity has been taken to re-draft the provisions which were previously in regulation 7(3) and to make provision for cases where an articulated vehicle is being towed in consequence of a breakdown.
9. Copies of the Directives referred to above can be obtained from HM Stationery Office.