S.I. No. 278/1983:

ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND USE OF VEHICLES) (AMENDMENT) (No. 2) REGULATIONS, 1983

ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND USE OF VEHICLES) (AMENDMENT) (No. 2) REGULATIONS, 1983

The Minister for the Environment in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 5 , 11 and 12 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 , (No. 24 of 1961) hereby makes the following Regulations:--

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1983.

(2) The collective citation "the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1983" shall include these Regulations.

2. In these Regulations "the Principal Regulations" means the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 ( S.I. No. 190 of 1963 ).

3. Article 3 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution for sub-article (4) of the following sub-article--

"(4) In these Regulations, save where the context otherwise requires, a reference to the weight laden of a vehicle or combination of vehicles, or to the weight transmitted to the surface of a road by a vehicle or combination of vehicles, shall be construed as a reference to the weight of such vehicle or combination together with its load, if any, and any reference to the weight transmitted to the surface of a road by any part of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be construed accordingly."

4. The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by the substitution for article 7 (as amended by the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 1983 [ S.I. No. 119 of 1983 ]) of the following article--

"7. (1) The weight transmitted to the surface of a road by any wheel of a vehicle or any wheel of a trailer attached to a vehicle shall not exceed--

(a) where the wheel is fitted with a pneumatic tyre, 5,250 kilograms;

(b) where the wheel is fitted with a soft tyre, 16 kilograms for each millimetre width of the tyre measured at the point of contact of the tyre with the ground;

(c) where the wheel is not fitted with a pneumatic or soft tyre 10 kilograms for each millimetre width of the wheel or its tyre measured at the point of contact of the wheel or tyre with the ground.

(2) (a) (i) Subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph (ii) of this sub-article, the weight transmitted to the surface of a road by a single axle of a vehicle or of a trailer attached to a vehicle shall not exceed 10,170 kilograms.

(ii) The weight transmitted to the surface of a road by a single axle which is the sole driving axle of an articulated vehicle the weight laden of which may under these Regulations exceed 32,520 kilograms, may, where the distance between the sole driving axle and the closest adjacent axle is 1.2 metres or more, exceed 10,170 kilograms but shall not exceed 10,500 kilograms.

(b) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this sub-article, the weight transmitted to the surface of a road by any two adjacent axles of a vehicle or of a trailer attached to a vehicle shall not exceed that shown in column 2 of the following Table in relation to the distances between the axles shown in column 1 of the Table.

TABLE

(c) (i) The weight transmitted to the surface of a road by three or more successive axles of a semi-trailer shall not exceed 22,890 kilograms.

(ii) The weight transmitted to the surface of a road by any one of three or more successive axles of a semi-trailer shall not exceed that shown in column 2 of the following Table in relation to the distances between axles shown in column 1 of the Table.

TABLE

(3) (a) The weight laden of a vehicle, not being an articulated vehicle, or of a trailer attached to a vehicle shall not exceed--

(i) where the vehicle has two axles, 16,260 kilograms;

(ii) where the trailer has two axles and the distance between the axles is:--

less than 3.0 metres -- 16,260 kilograms;

3.0 metres or more -- 18,000 kilograms;

(iii) where the vehicle or trailer has three axles and the distance between the extreme front and rear axles is:--

less than 4.9 metres -- 22,360 kilograms;

4.9 metres or more -- 24,390 kilograms;

(iv) where the vehicle or trailer has four or more axles and the distance between the extreme front and rear axles is:--

less than 5.6 metres -- 25,410 kilograms;

not less than 5.6 metres and less than 5.9 metres -- 26,420 kilograms;

not less than 5.9 metres and less than 6.3 metres -- 28,450 kilograms;

6.3 metres or more -- 30,490 kilograms;

(b) The weight laden of a mechanically propelled vehicle which forms part of an articulated vehicle shall not exceed--

(i) where the mechanically propelled vehicle has two axles and the distance between the extreme front and rear axles is:--

less than 2.7 metres -- 16,260 kilograms;

2.7 metres or more -- 17,000 kilograms;

(ii) where the mechanically propelled vehicle has three or more axles none of which transmits a weight in excess of 10,170 kilograms to the surface of a road and the distance between the extreme front and rear axles is:--

less than 4.3 metres -- 22,360 kilograms;

4.3 metres or more -- 24,390 kilograms;

(iii) where the mechanically propelled vehicle has three or more axles and the weight transmitted to the surface of a road by any of these axles exceeds 10,170 kilograms and the distance between the extreme front and rear axles is:--

less than 4.0 metres -- 20,340 kilograms;

not less than 4.0 metres and less than 4.9 metres -- 22,360 kilograms;

4.9 metres or more -- 24,390 kilograms;

(c) The weight laden of an articulated vehicle having a total of three axles shall not exceed the maximum laden weight shown in column 2 of the following Table in relation to the distances shown in column 1 of the Table.

TABLE

(d) the weight laden of an articulated vehicle having a total of four axles shall not exceed the maximum laden weight shown in column 2 of the following Table in relation to the distances between axles shown in column 1 of the Table.

TABLE

(e) The weight laden of an articulated vehicle having a total of five or more axles shall not exceed the maximum laden weight shown in column 2 of the following Table in relation to the distances between axles shown as regards drawing components having (a) 2 axles and (b) 3 axles in column 1 of the Table.

TABLE

(4) (a) The weight laden of a track-laying vehicle shall not, subject to paragraph (c) of this sub-article, exceed 7,400 kilograms.

(b) The weight transmitted to any strip of the surface of a road upon which a track-laying vehicle rests, contained between any two parallel lines drawn 600 millimetres apart on that surface at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, shall not exceed 10,170 kilograms.

(c) Paragraph (a) of this sub-article shall not apply to a track-laying vehicle while it is being loaded on to or unloaded from a conveying vehicle or while it is travelling for a distance not exceeding 100 metres between such vehicle and a place off the road.

(5) (a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this sub-article, the weight laden of a combination of vehicles comprising a vehicle and one trailer shall not exceed 32,520 kilograms.

(b) The weight laden of a combination of vehicles comprising a vehicle and one trailer, having five or more axles where the distance between the rearmost axle of the vehicle and the foremost axle of the trailer is 3.7 metres or more may exceed 32,520 kilograms but shall not exceed 38,000 kilograms.

(6) In calculating, for the purposes of this article, the weight laden of a large public service vehicle or the weight transmitted by an axle or wheel thereof, the vehicle shall be deemed to be carrying its full complement of standing and sitting passengers, and weights of 63.5 kilograms each shall be placed in the correct relative positions for the driver, the conductor and each passenger."

5. The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by the substitution for article 11 (as amended by the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 1965 to 1983) of the following article--

"11 (1) Subject to sub-article (2) of this article, the overall length of a vehicle shall not exceed 12 metres.

(2) The overall length of an articulated vehicle shall not exceed 15.5 metres.

(3) The overall length of a trailer shall not exceed 12 metres.

(4) Subject to sub-article (5) of this article, the overall length of a combination of vehicles shall not exceed 18 metres.

(5) Sub-article (4) of this article shall not apply to a large tractor where--

(a) such tractor is drawing two trailers outside a county or other borough or an urban district the population of which, as ascertained by the census of population which for the time being is the last published census of population, exceeds 10,000 persons, and

(b) the overall length of the combination of vehicles comprising the tractor and trailers does not exceed 22 metres.

(6) (a) The overall length of a vehicle or trailer shall be the distance between vertical planes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle or trailer and passing through the extreme projecting points at the front and rear of the vehicle or trailer, and for that purpose--

(i) in calculating the overall length of a trailer, the drawbar shall be included;

(ii) in calculating the overall length of a vehicle, any ladder permanently attached to the vehicle for the purpose of affording access to the roof and not projecting backwards more than 230 millimetres beyond the rear of the vehicle shall be disregarded;

(iii) in calculating the overall length of an articulated vehicle--

I. any load on the vehicle shall be deemed to form part of the vehicle save where the vehicle is carrying poles for use in connection with the provision of telephone or electricity services,

II. the longitudinal axes of the drawing and drawn components shall be in the same vertical plane.

(b) The overall length of a combination of vehicles shall be the distance between vertical planes at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the drawing and drawn components comprised in such combination (while such axes are in the same vertical plane) and passing through the extreme projecting points at the front and rear of the combination.

(7) The provisions of this article relating to the overall length of a combination of vehicles shall not operate so as to prohibit the towing of a broken down vehicle which is being towed, in consequence of the breakdown, to the nearest convenient place of safety or repair.

(8) A load, other than poles intended for use in connection with telephone or electricity services, on a vehicle which is not drawing a trailer, or on the rearmost trailer in a combination of vehicles, shall not project more than 3 metres to the rear beyond the rearmost point of such vehicle or trailer.

(9) Where a load (including an implement carried by a tractor) projects more than 1 metre to the rear beyond the rearmost point of a vehicle or the rearmost trailer in a combination of vehicles, a warning device (being either a red flag or cloth at least 300 millimetres square, or a rigid device having a surface of a similar area coloured red or in two colours, one of which is red and the other of which is lighter than red) shall be carried at the rear of the load during the day time".

6. The Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 1983 ( S.I. No. 119 of 1983 ) are hereby revoked.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment

this 30th day of September, 1983.

DICK SPRING,

Minister for the Environment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provide for increased maximum permitted vehicle weight limits in respect of mechanically propelled vehicles and their trailers and include revised maximum weight limits in respect of axles and individual wheels. The maximum permitted vehicle weight limits are subject to detailed controls in relation to axle spacings. Provision is also made for increased maximum permitted lengths in respect of vehicles and combinations of vehicles. The Regulations also provide for axles to be weighed when a vehicle is moving on a weighing machine.