How to project the image! mage!
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Sometimes it's necessary to carry a load which is wider or longer than the loadbed of a truck. This is permissible, but do you know the legal position on lights, marker boards and so on?
IT N SURPRISING how many vehicles have loads sticking out in all directions with scarcely a thought being given to the potential dangers for other road users, never mind the blatant disregard of legal requirements.
Generally, these are not professional haulage vehicles or those of mainstream own-account operators. Rather, they tend to be operated by jobbing builders, scaffolders and other tradesmen to whom the vehicle is no more than an over-sized wheelbarrow.
A projecting load is one that overhangs beyond the foremost or rearmost points, or the sides of the vehicle. Such loads may be carried quite legally provided certain conditions, depending on the length or width of the projection, are observed.
Wide Loads and Side Projections Normally, loads may be up to 2.9 metres wide overall, or project up to 305mm on either side of the vehicle. Loose agricultural produce and indivisible loads may exceed these limits. Where an indivisible wide load extends 305mm or more on one or both sides of the vehicle, or exceeds 2.9 metres overall, the police must be given two clear days' notice and end marker boards must be displayed at front and rear If it exceeds 3.5 metres an attendant must also be carried.
Loads more than 4.3 metres wide can only be moved under the provisions of the Special Types General Order (STGO).
Forward Projecting Loads Loads projecting forward more than 2.0 metres (or 1.83 metres on Special Types vehicles) must be indicated by approved side and end marker boards, and an attendant must be carried.
Where loads project forward more than 3.05 metres, the police must be given two days' notice of its movement, both side and end marker boards must be displayed, and an attendant must be carried.
Where loads project more than 4.5 metres forward, the provisions above must be observed and additional side marker boards must be carried within 2.5 metres of the first set of side markers.
Rearward Projecting Loads Where a load projects more than 1.0 metre beyond the rear of a vehicle (or 1.07 metres on Special Types vehicles), it must clearly be marked and where it is more than 2.0 metres (1.83 metres on Special Types vehicles) an end marker board must be displayed.
Where the rearward projection is more than 3.05 metres, the police must be notified, side and end marker boards must be displayed, and an attendant must be carried, However, an end marker is not required if the load is fitted with a rear reflective marker.
lithe rearward projection exceeds 5.0 metres, additional side marker boards must be ranied within 3.5 metres of the first set.
Lighting When a load projects sideways more than 400mm beyond the front and rear position lights of a vehicle, extra side and rear lights and white front and red rear reflectors must be carried within 400mm of the outer edges of the load.
When loads project rearwards more than 1.0 metre an additional red rear position light must be carried within 1.0 metre of the end of the load, or if the load obscures the existing rear lights and reflectors, an additional set must be fixed to the load.
A vehicle or combination of vehicles and load (apart from a towing vehicle and a brokendown vehicle) more than 18.3 metres long travelling at night must: • carry approved illuminated marker boards, or • side marker lights on each side, positioned within 9,15 metres of the front and within 3.05 metres of the rear of the vehicle or load, and other lights in between at not more than 3.05 metre intervals.
In the case of a combination of vehicles carrying a supported load (le only resting on a vehicle at each end) when the total length of the combination is between 12.2 and 18.3 metres, side marker lights are required not more than 1.53 metres behind the rear of the drawing vehicle, and if the load extends more than 9.15 metres beyond the drawing vehicle, additional side marker lights are required not more than 1.53 metres behind its centre line.
Li by David Lowe