Road Safety Act 1986

A mass limit is a limit specified under this Act concerning the mass of—

a vehicle; or

any component of a vehicle.

Without limiting subsection (1), the following are mass limits—

a limit concerning—

the gross mass of a vehicle (that is, the unladen mass of the vehicle together with any load in or on the vehicle); or

the mass on a tyre, an axle or an axle group of the vehicle;

a limit concerning axle spacing;

mass limits set out on signs erected or displayed under this Act (for example, a sign-posted bridge limit).

A breach of a mass limit is a minor risk breach if—

in the case of a mass limit that relates to the gross mass of a vehicle, the amount by which the limit is exceeded is less than either or both of the following—

5% of the maximum permissible mass; or

0⋅5 tonnes; or

in any other case, the amount by which the limit is exceeded is less than 5% of the maximum permissible mass.

Subject to subsection (3)(a)(ii), a breach of a mass limit is a substantial risk breach if the amount by which the limit is exceeded is 5% or more of the maximum permissible mass, but less than 20% of the maximum permissible mass.

A breach of a mass limit is a severe risk breach if the amount by which the limit is exceeded is 20% or more of the maximum permissible mass.

For the purposes of this section, all relevant measurements are to be rounded up to the nearest 0⋅1 tonnes.