Mudguards and spray suppression
33 Mudguards and spray suppression
A vehicle must have firmly fitted:
a mudguard for each wheel or for adjacent wheels; and
(b) for each axle group and single axle on a vehicle that is part of a B-double – spray suppression devices complying with Parts 1 and 2 of British Standard AU200-1984 Spray Reducing Devices for Heavy Goods Vehicle.
However, subrule (1)(a) does not apply to a vehicle if:
(a) the construction or use of the vehicle makes the fitting of mudguards unnecessary or impracticable; or
the body or part of the body of the vehicle acts as a mudguard.
Examples of vehicles to which subrule (2)(a) applies
1. Timber jinkers.
2. Most road-making plant.
3. Some agricultural equipment.
(3) A mudguard fitted to a vehicle with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes must, when the wheels of the vehicle are in position to move straight ahead:
reduce the danger of a person contacting the moving wheels; and
for the rear wheels:
(i) cover the overall tyre width of the wheel or wheels to which it is fitted; and
(ii) be fitted so the height above ground level of the lowest edge of the rear of the mudguard is not over one-third of the horizontal distance between the edge and the centre of the rearmost axle.
However, a mudguard may be up to:
230 millimetres above ground level; or
(b) on a vehicle built to be used off road – 300 millimetres above ground level.
(5) The outside of a rear mudguard, except a mudflap, of a vehicle that can be seen from the rear of the vehicle must be coloured white or silver if the vehicle:
is at least 2.2 metres wide; and
(b) has a body the vertical measurement of which is under 300 millimetres at the rear, measured from the lowest point of the body above ground level to the highest point; and
(c) is not fitted with rear marking plates in accordance with rule 119.
(6) For subrule (5)(a), the width of a vehicle is measured disregarding any anti-skid device mounted on wheels, central tyre inflation systems, lights, mirrors, reflectors, signalling devices and tyre pressure gauges.
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