Projecting loads (1)
Page 59
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ON July 1 1968 a new requirement respecting notification to the police of the movement of projecting loads came into force and from October 1 a marker board will be required on loads projecting more than fift to the rear. I propose to discuss this new legislation and review the law concerning projecting loads generally when the vehicle is operated under the C and U Regulations.
When a vehicle carries a load which projects to the front or rear more than specified amounts one or more of four paragraphs contained in the 8th Schedule to the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1966 have to be complied with, depending on the length of the projection. In some cases the law is satisfied if the owner complies with one of the paragraphs, in others two or three have to be complied with.
Paragraph one of the Schedule requires that the owner of a vehicle shall give the chief officer of any police area through which the vehicle will pass two days' clear notice—not including Sundays and Bank Holidays, Christmas Day or Good Friday. The police may dispense with the requirements as to the length of notice or particulars contained therein at their discretion. If the load to be moved is an urgent one and there is a genuine reason why the two days' notice cannot be given they are usually co-operative in this respect. The recent amalgamation of police forces has made this task much easier for the haulage contractor. An invaluable publication when deciding which forces to notify is the Police Alrnanack published annually by R. Hazell Ltd., Alpha House, 152 Rye Lane, London, 6E15. which gives particulars of all police forces and their headquarters.
Paragraph two requires that a person be employed, in addition to the driver, to attend to the vehicle and its load and to give warning to the driver and any other person of any danger likely to be caused by the presence of the vehicle on the road.
Paragraph three deals with marker boards. These are of two kinds, one for fitting to the side of the projection and the other to the end. The former is a right angle and the other an isosceles triangle of the dimensions shown in the sketch. Each have red borders and stripes on a white background. Both types must be fitted to the load in as near an upright position as possible and so that all the surfaces are clearly visible to other persons using the road.
The end marker board must be carried not more than 2ft from the extreme end of the projection and not more than 8ft 6in. from the road and in such a manner that it impedes the view of the driver as little as possible.
The side marker boards must be fitted to each side of the projection so that no part of it extends beyond the projection and the horizontal distance between it and the end of the load does not exceed 3ft. Like the end marker board it must not be more than 8ft 6in. from the ground.
On projections which exceed 15ft forward or 17ft rearward additional marker boards are required. Enough must be fitted to leave no gaps of more than 8ft on forward projections or 12ft on rearward projections between each marker or between the end of the vehicle and the nearest marker.