Dealing first with the question of width, the new rules
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affect hauliers as follows:— Where the width of the vehicle and/or its load exceeds 8 ft., an attendant is required on vehicles operating under "Special Types" Order; the police must be informed if the proposed route of the "special type" vehicle covers roads on which trams are operating.
If the width exceeds 9 ft. 6in. operators must have regard to three items — (1) On a " normal " vehicle the loads Must be indivisible, (2) The police must be notified in the case of 'both " normal " and "special type " vehicles.
(3) Two attendants needed with a "special type" vehicle.
If the width exceeds /4 ft. two things must be done:—
(1) Permission must be sought from the Minister of Transport. (As soon as the need for such a movement is known application should be made on form VR I, obtainable on request from the Ministry of Transport. Vehicles Regulation Division, Room 5/80, St. Christopher House, Southwark Street, London, S.E.I.
• (2) An attendant must be carried in the case -of." normal " vehicles; two attendants are required on "special types."
Vehicles and/or loads over 20 ft. in width, and vehicles carrying loads projecting on one side where the width of both load and vehicle together exceeds 20 ft., may not be used under either the • Regulations or the General Order. Vehicles authorized under the Order moreover may not use motorways if their width, or that of their load, or of vehicle and load together, exceeds 14 ft.
Length Where the length exceeds 50 ft. the police need only be informed in respect of a vehicle operating under the "Special Types General Order.
Where the length exceeds 60 ft. the police must be notified in all cases and one attendant must be carried.
Road-Trains. If the length of a combination of vehicles (and this means the length from the foremost point of the first vehicle or of any load projecting before it, to the rearmost point of the rearmost vehicle or of any load projecting behind it) is in excess of 85 ft., the police must be notified.
Projections Loads projecting more than 3 ft. 6 in. but less than 10 ft. TO THE REAR must be made " clearly visible." (Neither the Regulations nor the Order specify how this is to be done.) Loads projecting 6 ft. TO THE FRONT must be fitted with marker boards and an attendant carried.
Loads projecting more than 10 ft. TO THE FRONT OR REAR require police notification and the fitting of marker boards. An attendant is required.
Straddle carriers receive special attelftion in the new Regulations. The overall raden length of a straddle carrier complying with the Regulations may not exceed 40 ft.. and the load must not project more than 6 ft. to the .front or 10 ft. to the rear. (Exception is made for vehicles moving between neighbouring premises at a speed below 12 m.p.h., provided, in the case of .those exceeding an overall length of 40 ft., the police are notified and an attendant is used.)
The overall laden length of a " special type" straddle carrier must not exceed 30 ft. except with the consent of the police. The existing restrictions on the use of "special type" straddle carriers remain as at present. Because of the special limited circumstances as to use, no marking is generally required on projecting loads on straddle carriers, but where one is used with a rear projection of from 3 ft. 6 in. to 10 ft. otherwise than in passing between neighbouring premises, the projections must be clearly marked.
Carriage of racing eights. No markers needed, but if the forward or rear projection exceeds 3 ft. 6 in. it must be clearly visible to other road users. If the projection is more than 10 ft., in addition to being clearly marked, the police must be notified.
Operators should especially note:— Articulated vehicles. The tractor portion of such a vehicle cannot be considered to he part of the "rigid length" merely because sorne of the weight of the semi-trailer and its load is transmitted to it.
Projections lying over other vehicles in the same train need no special marking, except in so far as they extend beyond the end of the front and the rear vehicles in the train.
Marker Boards Requirements in respect of marker boards are briefly as follows. One marker board of the type shown below at (a) must be fitted vertically at the front or rear, not more than 2 ft. from the end of the projection so that its lowest point is not more than 8 ft. 6 in. from the ground and so that it is clearly visible from the front.
Marker boards of the type shown at (b) must be fitted along the side of the projection so that the surfaceclearly shows to eitherside; so that one side is not higher than 8 ft. 6 in. from the ground; the nearest point of the (front or rear) one on each side is not more than 3. ft. from the front or rear marker, and so that, on long projections, enough are fitted to leave no gaps of more than 8 ft. (on forward projections) or 12 ft. (on rear projections) between each marker or between the end of the vehicle and the nearest marker.
Marker boards must be indirectly illuminated at night. Flashing tights or internal illumination will not do.