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National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996)

Regulations

National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000

Chapter VI : Fitness of Vehicles

Part III: Dimensions of vehicles

222. Restriction on combination of motor vehicles

 

(1) Subject to subregulation (3), no person shall operate on a public road any combination of motor vehicles—
(a) other than a drawing vehicle and one or two trailers;
(b) other than a motor vehicle drawing one other motor vehicle which is not a trailer; and
(c) other than a motor vehicle drawing another motor vehicle which is not a trailer, and a trailer, in the case of an emergency or a breakdown.

 

(2) Subject to subregulation (3), no person shall operate on a public road a combination of motor vehicles—
(a) consisting of a trailer attached to a drawing vehicle in such a manner that the combination of trailer and drawing vehicle cannot bend in a horizontal plane, if the combined length of such trailer, including any drawbar or coupling and the rear overhang of the drawing vehicle, exceeds three comma one metres;
(b) consisting of a trailer or trailers attached to a drawing vehicle if the length of the drawbar of any trailer in such combination, where such trailer has more than one axle, exceeds two metres: Provided that in the case of an underslung coupling, the drawbar may exceed two metres if the distance between the two vehicles does not exceed two comma five metres.

 

(3) Subject to regulation 239(2), any combination of vehicles may be towed by a breakdown vehicle if the brake system of the towed combination, excluding the drawing vehicle of such combination, is functional and coordinated with the working of the brakes of the breakdown vehicle.

 

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of subregulation (1), a converter dolly shall, when used in combination with a semi-trailer, be deemed not to be a trailer.

 

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in this regulation, no person shall use a breakdown vehicle or motor vehicle, that must display the information referred to in regulation 245(1)(b)(v), to tow or draw another vehicle on a public road, unless such information is displayed in terms of regulation 245 on such breakdown vehicle or motor vehicle.

[Regulation 222(5) inserted by regulation 44 of Notice No. 2116 of 2001]