S.I. No. 404/1997 - Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1997

S.I. No. 404 of 1997.

ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND USE OF VEHICLES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1997

The Minister for the Environment and Local Government in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 5 , 11 and 12 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and for the purposes of giving effect to certain provisions of Directive 96/53/EC⁽¹⁾ laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic hereby makes the following Regulations:

⁽¹⁾O.J. No. L 235/59 of 25 July, 1996.

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1997.

(2) The Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1996 and these Regulations shall be construed as one and may be cited together as the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1997.

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 );

"the Regulations of 1986" means the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1986 ( S.I. No. 442 of 1986 );

"the Regulations of 1992" means the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations, 1992 ( S.I. No. 325 of 1992 );

"conditioned trailer or semi-trailer" means a trailer or semi-trailer with a design gross weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms, whose fixed or movable superstructure is specially equipped for the carriage of goods at controlled temperatures and whose side walls, inclusive of insulation, are each at least 45 millimetres thick;

"conditioned vehicle" means a vehicle, with a design gross vehicle weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms, whose fixed or movable superstructure is specially equipped for the carriage of goods at controlled temperatures and whose side walls, inclusive of insulation, are each at least 45 millimetres thick;

"design gross weight" of a trailer or semi-trailer means the gross weight of the trailer or semi-trailer laden with the heaviest load which it can reasonably carry having regard to the brakes, tyres and general construction of such trailer or semi-trailer and shall, until the contrary is shown, be taken to be its design gross weight as specified by its manufacturer or distributor, or, where the design gross weight as specified by the manufacturer or distributor is not ascertainable, the design gross weight as specified by an automotive engineer.

3. Article 10 of the Principal Regulations, as amended by article 6 of the Regulations of 1986, is hereby amended by the substitution for sub-articles (1) and (2) of the following sub-articles:

"(1) The overall width of a vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer, other than a vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer referred to in sub-articles (2) and (3) of this article shall not exceed 2.50 metres.

(2) ( a ) The overall width of a refrigerated vehicle, first registered on or before the 31st day of December, 1997, shall not exceed 2.60 metres;

( b ) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this sub-article shall cease to have effect on and from the 31st day of December, 2006;

( c ) The overall width of a goods vehicle with a design gross vehicle weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms, other than a conditioned vehicle, shall not exceed 2.55 metres;

( d ) The overall width of a trailer or a semi-trailer with a design gross weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms, other than a conditioned trailer or semi-trailer, shall not exceed 2.55 metres;

( e ) The overall width of a conditioned vehicle shall not exceed 2.60 metres;

( f ) The overall width of a conditioned trailer or semi-trailer shall not exceed 2.60 metres;

( g ) The overall width of a passenger vehicle having seating accommodation for more than eight passengers exclusive of the driver shall not exceed 2.55 metres;

( h ) The overall width of a large tractor shall not exceed 2.75 metres.".

4. Sub-articles (6) and (8) of article 11 of the Principal Regulations as substituted by article 5 of the Regulations of 1992 are hereby amended by the substitution of "18.75 metres" for "18.35 metres" in the said sub-article (6) and by the substitution of "16.40 metres" for "16 metres" in paragraph (b) of the said sub-article (8).

5. (1) This article applies to

( a ) large public service vehicles,

( b ) mechanically propelled vehicles with a design gross vehicle weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms, and

( c ) a combination of a vehicle referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this sub-article and a trailer or semi-trailer with a design gross weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms.

(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-article (3) of this article, a vehicle or a combination of a vehicle and a trailer or a semi-trailer, referred to in sub-article (1) of this article, shall be capable of being driven within an area contained between concentric circles with radii of 12.50 metres and 5.30 metres such that no part of the vehicle or the combination of a vehicle and a trailer or semi-trailer projects outside such contained area.

(3) The provisions of sub-article (2) of this article shall not apply, until the 31st day of December, 2006, to a vehicle first registered on or before the 31st day of December, 1997, to a combination of such vehicle and a trailer or to an articulated vehicle, the drawn component of which was first licensed on or before the 31st day of December, 1997.

6. The Schedule hereto is hereby substituted for the Schedule to the Regulations of 1986 as substituted by article 7 of the Regulations of 1992.

SCHEDULE

Maximum weights, maximum dimensions and related characteristics of vehicles referred to in article 7 of the Regulations of 1986.

Maximum weight laden

Description of Vehicle	Maximum Weight
A two-axle trailer.	18,000 kilograms
A three-axle trailer.	24,000 kilograms
A two-axle mechanically propelled vehicle.	17,000 kilograms
A three-axle mechanically propelled vehicle.	25,000 kilograms
A three-axle mechanically propelled vehicle in a case where the driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and an air suspension system or an equivalent system or, where each of two driving axles is fitted with twin tyres and the maximum weight of each axle does not exceed 9,500 kilograms.	26.000 kilograms
A four-axle mechanically propelled vehicle.	30,000 kilograms
A four-axle mechanically propelled vehicle in a case where the driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and an air suspension system, or an equivalent system or, where each of two driving axles is fitted with twin tyres and the maximum weight of each axle does not exceed 9,500 kilograms.	32,000 kilograms
A two-axle mechanically propelled vehicle with a two-axle trailer.	35,000 kilograms
A two-axle mechanically propelled vehicle with a three-axle trailer.	40,000 kilograms
A three-axle mechanically propelled vehicle with either a two-axle or a three-axle trailer.	40,000 kilograms
A two-axle mechanically propelled vehicle with a two-axle semi-trailer.	35,000 kilograms
A two-axle mechanically propelled vehicle with a three-axle semi-trailer.	38,000 kilograms
A two-axle mechanically propelled vehicle with a three-axle semi-trailer in a case where all the axles of the semi-trailer are fitted with an air suspension system.	40,000 kilograms
A three-axle mechanically propelled vehicle with either a two-axle or a three-axle semi-trailer.	40,000 kilograms
A three-axle articulated bus.	27,000 kilograms

Maximum weight transmitted to the surface of a road by axles, tandem axles and triaxles

Description of axle or tandem or triaxles	Maximum weight
A sole driving axle of a vehicle.	10,500 kilograms
Any other single axle of a vehicle or of a trailer attached to a vehicle.	10,000 kilograms
Tandem axles of a vehicle where the distance between the axles is:
- less than 1 metre	11,500 kilograms
- not less than 1 metre and less than 1.3 metres	16,000 kilograms
- not less than 1.3 metres and less than 1.8 metres	18,000 kilograms
- not less than 1.3 metres and less than 1.8 metres where the driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and an air suspension system or an equivalent system, or where each of two driving axles is fitted with twin tyres and the maximum weight of each axle does not exceed 9,500 kilograms.	19,000 kilograms
Tandem axles of a trailer or semi-trailer where the distance between the axles is:
- less than 1 metre	11,000 kilograms
- not less than 1 metre and less than 1.3 metres	16.000 kilograms
- not less than 1.3 metres and less than 1.8 metres	18,000 kilograms
- not less than 1.8 metres.	20,000 kilograms
A triaxle of a trailer or a semi-trailer, where the distance between adjacent axles is:
- 1.3 metres or less	21,000 kilograms
- more than 1.3 metres	22,500 kilograms
- more than 1.3 metres and each of the three axles is fitted with an air suspension system or an equivalent system.	24,000 kilograms

Maximum dimensions

Description of Vehicle and Dimension	Maximum Value
Length
A mechanically propelled vehicle	12.00 metres.
A trailer.	12.00 metres
An articulated bus.	18.00 metres
An articulated vehicle, other than an articulated bus.	16.50 metres
A combination of a mechanically propelled vehicle and one trailer.	18.75 metres
Width
A conditioned vehicle.	2.60 metres
A vehicle with a design gross vehicle weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms, other than a conditioned vehicle.	2.55 metres
Height
A double deck large public service vehicle.	4.57 metres
A vehicle other than a double deck large public service vehicle.	4.00 metres

Related characteristics

Description of Vehicle	Description of Related Characteristics
All vehicles.	The weight transmitted to the surface of a road by the driving axle or driving axles of a vehicle or of a combination of a vehicle and one trailer shall not be less than 25% of the total weight laden of the vehicle or of the combination, as the case may be.
All vehicles.	A vehicle or combination of a vehicle and one trailer which is in motion must be able to turn within a swept circle having an outer radius of 12.50 metres and an inner radius of 5.30 metres.
A four axle mechanically propelled vehicle.	The maximum weight laden expressed in kilograms, shall not exceed an amount which, when divided by the distance between the foremost and rearmost axles expressed in metres, yields a figure of 5,000 kg/m.
A combination of a vehicle first registered after the 31 st day of December, 1991, and one trailer in a case where the length of the combination exceeds 18 metres.	The distance measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the combination of vehicles from the foremost external point of the loading area behind the cabin to the rearmost point of the trailer, less the distance between the rear of the drawing vehicle and the front of the trailer, shall not exceed 15.65 metres and the distance measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the combination of vehicles from the foremost point of the loading area behind the cabin to the rearmost point of the trailer shall not exceed 16.4 metres.
With effect from the 31st day of December, 1998 a combination of a vehicle and one trailer.	The distance measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the combination of vehicles from the foremost external point of the loading area behind the cabin to the rearmost point of the trailer, less the distance between the rear of the drawing vehicle and the front of the trailer, shall not exceed 15.65 metres and the distance measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the combination of vehicles from the foremost point of the loading area behind the cabin to the rearmost point of the trailer, shall not exceed 16.4 metres.
A combination of a vehicle and one trailer.	The distance between the rearmost axle of the vehicle and the foremost axle of the trailer shall not be less than 3 metres.
A semi-trailer of an articulated vehicle first registered on or after the 'I st day of January. 1991.	The distance between the axis of the semi-trailer king pin and the rear of the semi-trailer shall not exceed 12 metres and the distance measured horizontally between the axis of the semi-trailer king pin and any point to the front of the semi-trailer shall not exceed 2.04 metres.
A semi-trailer of an articulated vehicle first registered before the 1st day of January, 1991, where the overall length of the vehicle exceeds 15.5 metres.	The distance between the axis of the semi-trailer king pin and the rear of the semi-trailer shall not exceed 12 metres and the distance measured horizontally between the axis of the semi-trailer king pin and any point to the front of the semi-trailer shall not exceed 2.04 metres.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment

this 30^th day of September 1997.

L.S. Noel Dempsey

_________________________

Minister for the Environment

and Local Government

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations provide for the implementation of increases in the maximum permitted width and length of certain vehicles as laid down in Council Directive 96/53/EC of 25 July, 1996 (O.J. No. L 235/59).

The Regulations apply to buses and certain vehicles/trailers in both international and domestic traffic and provide for an increase in allowable width from 2.50m to 2.55m. Certain conditioned vehicles and trailers will be permitted to operate at a width of 2.60m. In the case of refrigerated vehicles the Regulations provide (in accordance with the Directive) that such vehicles first registered on or before 31 December, 1997 may operate at 2.60m until 31 December, 2006. The Regulations also provides for an increase in the permitted maximum length of truck and trailer combinations from 18.35m to 18.75m.

A turning circle requirement for domestic traffic is introduced for the first time for buses and certain goods vehicles (over 3,500 kilograms) or a combination of either of such vehicles and a trailer or semi-trailer with a design gross weight in excess of 3,500 kilograms. This requires that they shall be capable of being driven within an area contained between concentric circles with radii of 12.50m and 5.30m such that no part of the vehicle or the combination projects outside such contained area (in accordance with the Directive this provision will not apply until 31 December, 2006 to such mechanically propelled vehicles or semi-trailers first registered, or licensed, as appropriate, on or before 31 December, 1997).