NEW REGULATIONS FOR ROAD VEHICLES.
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The Heavy Motorcar (Amendment) Order, 1927, Dated July 29th, 1927, Made by the Minister of Transport.
BELOW we reproduce the context of the Order, No. 700, of 1927, which came into force yesterday, dealing with the construction of heavy motorcars used for goOds transport and the conveyance of passengers.
In a cireular, No. 268 (Roads), issued by the Minister of Transport, Roads Department, Whitehall Gardens, Loudon, S.W.1, attention is drawn to the new Order and in an appendix to this circular are given the constructional requirements for heavy motorcars licensed as public-service vehicles. The requirements in this appendix follow the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on the Licensing and Regulation of Public Service Vehicles as set out in the Appendix to Chapter IV of their First Interim Report, except for the special provisions for rigid-frame six-wheelers in paragraphs 1, 4 and 11, and the provisions as regards length and brakes. The requirements set out in paragraphs 5, 6, 17, 33 and 42 relax to a certain extent the corresponding requirements recommended by the Departmental Committee,
We are not publishing the circular, but this can be obtained from H.M. Stationery. Office at a cost of id.
Whereas by Section 6 of the Locomotives on Highways Act, 1896 (59 & (10 Viet. e. 36) (as modified by Section 12 of the Motor Car Act, 1903 (8 Edw. 7. c. 36) ), the Local Government Board in England and Wales and the Secretary for Scotland in Scotland were respectively empowered to make regulations with respect to the use on highways of light locomotives and motorcars as defined in the said Acts, and their construction and the conditions under which they may be used, and by such regulations as respects any class of vehicle mentioned in the regulations to increase the maximum weights of three tons and four tons mentioned in Section 1 of the Locomotives on Highways Act, 1896, subject to any 'conditionsas to the use and construction of the vehicle which may he made by the regulations : And whereas by Section 7 of the Locomotives on Highways Act, 1896, it is enacted that a breach of any regulation so made may on summary conviction be punished by a fine not exceeding £10: And whereas the Local Government Board by the Heavy Motor Car Order, 1904, (a) and the Secretary for Scotland bY the Heavy Motor Car (Scotland) Order, 1905, (b) .respectively made regulations with respect to the weight, conditions of use, construction and speed of heavy motorcars :
And whereas the Local Government Board by the Motor Cars (Use and Construction) Order, 1904, (c) and the Secretary for Scotland by the Motor Cars (Use and Construction) (Scotland) Order,. 1904, (d) respectively made regulations with respect (inter alia) to the construction of motorcars including heavy motorcars: And whereas the said recited Orders have been amended by various amending Orders: And whereas by the Ministry of Transport Act, 1919 (9 & 10 Gee. ,5, e. 50), the Ministry of Transport (Ministry of Health Exception of Powers) Order, 1919, (e) and the Ministry of Transport (Secretary for Scotland Transfer and Exception of Powers) Order, 1920, (f) the powers of the Local Government Board and the Secretary for Scotland to make such Regulations as aforesaid respectively are now vested in the Minister of Transport:.
And whereas it is expedient that certain of the Regulations made tinder the said recited Orders should be modified and that additional Regulations should be made in manner hereinafter appearing :
Now therefore, in exercise of the powers in that behalf vested in him the Minister of Transport hereby orders as follows:—
Article I. (1) In this Order :-- (a) The expression " the Principal Order" means the Heavy Motor Car Order, 1904, or as the case may require the Heavy Motor Car (Scotland) Order, 1905, as respectively amended by subsequent Orders.
(1) The expression 'the General Order" means the Motor Cars (Use and Construction) Order, 1904, or as the case may require the Motor Cars (Use and Construction) (Scotland) Order, 1904, as respectively amended by subsequent Orders.
(c) The expression " overall length" in relation to a heavy motorcaimeans the length of the vehicle overall exclusive of the starting handle (if any) and of the hood (if any) when down.
(d) The expression "steering axle" means any axle which or the wheels of which can be moved by the person controlling the vehicle so that the plane of rotation of such wheels is changed for the purpose of changing the direction in which the vehicle proceeds.
(2) Unless otherwise provided by this Order words and Expressions to which by the Principal Order or by the Gengral Order meanings are assigned have in this Order the same respective meanings.
(3) 'This Order shall come into operation on the fifteenth day of August, One thousand nine hundred and twentyseven, and that date is hereinafter referred to as "the commencement of this Order."
(4) The Principal Order and this Order shall be construed together as one Order, and the expression " the Regulations" in the Principal Order and in this Order shall be construed as including the Regulations made by this Order.
(5) This Order may be cited as "The Heavy Motor Car (Amendment) Order, 1927," and the Principal Order and this Order may together be cited as " The Heavy Motor Car Orders, 1904 to 1927."
Article IL Notwithstanding anything contained in the Principal Order or in the General Order and except as otherwise hereinafter provided, the following provision shall have effe,et, that is to say :— (1) The overhang of a heavy motorcar shall not exceed
(a) in the ease of a heavy motorcar not being a tractor seven twenta-fourths of the overall length of the heavy motorcar, and
(b) in the case of a heavy motorcar being a tractor, six feet.
For the purposes of this Article the expression "overhang" means the distance measured horizontally and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the heavy motorcar between two vertical planes at right angles to such axis the one passing through that point of the heavy motorcar (exclusive of any hood when down) which projects furthest to the rear and the other passing :
(1) In the case of a heavy motorcar having two axles, one of which is not a steering axle through the centre point of that axle, and (ii) In the case of a heavy motorcar having three axles,
(a) Where the front axle is the only steering axle, through a point four inches in rear of the centre of a straight line joining the centre points of the rear and middle axles, and (b) Where the rear axle is the only steering axle, through the centre point of the middle axle, and (c) Where all the axles but one are steering axles through the centre point of the rearmost axle which is not a steering axle, and
(iii) In the case of a heavy motorcar (whether having two axles or having three axles) where all the axles are steering axles, through a point situated on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and such that a line drawn from it at right angles to that axis will pass through the centre of the minimum turning circle of the vehicle.
(2) The overall length of a heavy motorcar shall not exceed twenty-seven feet six inches..
(3) A heavy motorcar which exceeds twenty-six feet in overall length shall not draw a trailer.
(4) As respects heavy motorcars the following provisions shall have effect in substitution for the provisions of the General Order which relate to brakes; that is to say : (a) Every heavy motorcar shall be fitted with at least two independent brakes in good and efficient working order and of such design and efficiency that the application of either will even under the most adverse conditions cause all the wheels of the heavy motorcar other than the wheels of the front axle or, in the case of a heavy motorcar having two axles only of which the rear axle is the steering axle, other than the wheels of the rear axle to be so held that they shall be effectually prevented from revolving, or shall have the same effect in stopping the heavy motorcar as if such wheels were so held; Provided nevertheless, that in the ease of a heavy motorcar which is propelled by steam and which is not used as a stage carriage or for the conveyance of passengers for gain or hire the engine of such heavy motorcar shall be deemed to be one brake if such engine is capable of being reversed and is incapable of being disconnected from all the road wheels or all the axles other than the front wheels or axle except by the sustained effort of the driver and in the case of a vehicle with more than two axles there is no differential driving gear or similar mechanism between any two of the axles.
() At least one of the brakes must act on all the wheels required by paragraph (a) of this subdivision to be held as therein provided directly and not through the transmission gear :— Provided that where the heavy motorcar has • three axles and the drive is applied to two axles other than the front axle without the interposition of a. differential driving gear or similar mechanism • between such two axles it shall be deemed to be • a sufficient compliance with this paragraph if one brake acts directly on the wheels attached to one axle and the other brake • acts directly on the wheels attached to the other axle.
(c) Brakes shall not be deemed independent as aforesaid which are so constructed that the failure of 'say part of the mechanism operating one brake shall adversely affect the operation of the other
• brake, but so nevertheless that the brake drum may be common to the two brakes.
.(d) In the case of a heavy motorcar used either as a stage carriage or otherwise for the conveyance of passengers for gain or hire :—
(i) One brake shall be applied by a pedal; (ii) The operation of either brake shall not in any case disengage the engine from the transmission gear, .(5) In the case of a heavy motorcar used either as, .a stage carriage or otherwise for the conveyance of passengers for gain or hire :— (a) (i) The registered axle weight of any axle of the heavy motorcar shall not exceed 51tons and the sum of the registered axle weights of all the axles of the heavy motorcar shall not exceed 9 tons ; '(ii) The aggregate weight of the heavy motorcar shall not exceed the sum of the registered axle weights of all the axles of the heavy motorcar. For the purposes of this paragraph the expression "aggregate weight of the heavy motorcar" means thRa sum of the weight of the vehicle when complete for service, but without any persons upon it and a weight calculated by allowing 140 pounds each for the driver and (if carried) the conductor, and a further 140 pounds for each passenger which the heavy motorcar is licensed to carry if the heavy motorcar is so licensed or if the heavy motorcar is not so licensed for each passenger for which the heavy motorcar has seating capacity and for the purpose of calculating such' seating capacity the provisions of Regulation 3 of the Hackney Motor Vehicles (Seating Capacity) Regulations, 1927, (a) shall apply as if they were herein repeated. • (b) The heavy motorcar shall be so constructed as to be capable of turning in eithee direction in a circle not exceeding in diameter sixty feet in the case of a heavy motorcar whose overall length does not exceed twenty-six feet and sixty-six feet in the case of a heavy Inotorcar exceeding twenty-six feet. The heavy motorcar shall be constructed that no portion of it within the limits hereinafter specified shall be nearer to the ground than ten inches,
(c)
allowance being made for the wear of tyres, set of springs and other causes likely to reduce the clearance, so that a minimum clearance of ten inches shall at all times be maintained. The specified limits extend in length rearwards from the foremost part of the heavy motorcar (excluding the starting handle and the bodywork) for a distance of fourteen feet six inches or, in the case of a heavy motorcar whose back axle is less than fourteen feet six inches in rear of the foremost part as aforesaid of the heavy motorcar, up to but not including the back axle, and in width for a distance on either side of the centre line of the heavy motorcar of not less than one-third of the front-wheel track.
Article III. (1) This article applies to any heavy motorcar which complies in all respects with the following conditions, namely (a) That the heavy motorcar is provided with six road wheels mounted on three separate axles under a non-articulated frame.
(b) That the distance between the middle axle and the rear axle is not greater than four feet six inches, and is not less than the exterior diameter of the tyre of the largest wheel.
(c) That all six wheels of the heavy motorcar are fitted with pneumatic tyres or tyres of a soft or elastic material, and in the case of a wheel fitted with resilient tyres other than pneumatic tyres, that the rim diameter of anysuch wheel is not less than 670 ram.
(d) That the heavy motorcar (i) is so constructed that whatever may be the contour of the surface of the ground on which it rests, all the six wheels shall be in contact with the ground, except in a ease where in order to comply with this condition it would be necessary for the middle axle to be in a position more than six inches below or six inches above an imaginary straight line drawn from the centre of the front • axle to the centre of the rear axle. and (ii) is suitably designed to secure that under any • eanditions of loading the ratio of the weight on the Middle axle to the weight on the rear axle shall remain constant.
(2) As respects heavy, motorcars to which this Article applies, the Regulations shall have effect with the _following modifications :-. _
(a) The overalls length may amountto, but shall not exceed, thirty feet
(5) The registered axle weight in relation to any axle .
• may amount to,, but 'shell not exceed :T.
(i) in the case of any such heavy' motorcar used as • a stage carriage or. otherwise for the conveyance of passengers for gain or hire four-and-a-half • tons; and . , . (ii) in the case of any other such heavy motorcar seven-and-a-half tone; (c) The sum of the registered axle weights may amount to, but shall not exceed:— •
(i). in the ,case of any such heavy motorcar used as a stage carriage , or , otherwise for the conveyance of passengers for gain -or• hire twelve tons ; and (ii) in the case of any other such heavy motorcar nineteen tons.
(d) In the application of paragraph (c) of sub-divielen (5) of Article II. of this Order a reference to thirteen feet shall be substituted for the reference to fourteen -feet six inches in relation to the epecified ‘3) Notwithstanding anything in the Motor Car Acts, 1890 and 1903, (a) or in the Principal Order a heavy motorcar to which this Article applies may be used on a highway if the weight of such heavy Motorcar unladen does not exceed ten tons.
Article IV. Notwithstanding anything in this Order the requirements respecting the construction, design and equipment of heavy motorcars imposed by this Order shall not be enforceable with respect to any heavy -motorcar (hereinafter called "an exeMpted heavy motorcar ") registered before the expiration of twelve months after the commencement of this Order under the Road Acts, 1920, (b) but nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent the use On a highway at any time of a heavy motorcar which complies with such requirements and with the Regulations.'
We have omitted Article V., which points out that the Order does not affect rights, penalties, etc., acquired or in curred before it came into force. •