Hong Kong Regulations

ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 40A

Sideguards

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this regulation shall apply to-

   (a)  a goods vehicle which has a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding
        5.5 tonnes and the distance between the centres of any 2 consecutive
        axles exceeds 3 metres;

   (b)  a trailer which has a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 2
        tonnes and the distance between the centres of any 2 consecutive axles
        exceeds 3 metres; and

   (c)  a semi-trailer which has a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 2
        tonnes and the distance between the centre of its first axle and the
        centre of the king-pin (the rearmost king-pin, if more than one)
        exceeds 4.5 metres.

(2) This regulation shall not apply to-

   (a)  a tractor unit of an articulated vehicle;

   (b)  a vehicle which is incapable by reason of its construction of
        exceeding a speed of 25 kilometres per hour under its own power on the
        road;

   (c)  an agricultural trailer;

   (d)  a vehicle so constructed that it can unload by tipping sideways or
        rearwards;

   (e)  a vehicle, without body work, which is being driven or towed by its
        manufacturer, dealer or distributor for a quality check or to premises
        of the manufacturer, dealer or distributor;

   (f)  a vehicle being driven or towed to a place where, by previous
        arrangement, the body work or sideguards are to be fitted;

   (g)  a trailer specially designed and constructed to carry round timber,
        beams or girders of exceptional length;

   (h)  a trailer specially designed and constructed to carry other vehicles
        loaded onto it from the front or the rear; and

   (i)  a trailer with a load platform where no part of the edge of the
        platform which is more than 60 millimetres inboard from the
        tangential  plane and the upper surface of the platform is not more
        than 750 millimetres from the ground in the area where a sideguard
        would but for this provision have to be fitted.

(3) Every vehicle to which this regulation applies shall be fitted with
sideguards constructed and fitted to meet the following requirements -

   (a)  each sideguard shall be of such robust construction as to effectively
        prevent motor-cyclists or pedestrians from being trapped between the
        axles in the event of a collision;

   (b)  the outermost surface of the sideguard shall be smooth, essentially
        rigid and either flat or horizontally corrugated;

   (c)  the lowest edge of the sideguard shall be no more than 550 millimetres
        above the ground when the vehicle is on level ground and in the case
        of a semi-trailer, when its load platform is horizontal;

   (d)  where the floor of the vehicle to which the sideguard is fitted-

        (i)    extends laterally outside the tangential plane;

        (ii)   is not more than 1.85 metres from the ground;

        (iii)  extends laterally over the whole of the length of the
               sideguard; and

        (iv)   is wholly covered at its edge by a side-rave the lower edge of
               which is not more than 150 millimetres below the underside of
               the floor, the highest edge shall not be more than 350
               millimetres below the lower edge of the side-rave;

   (e)  where the floor of the vehicle to which the sideguard is fitted-

        (i)    extends laterally outside the tangential plane; and

        (ii)   does not comply with all of the provisions specified in
               sub-paragraph (d)(ii), (iii) and (iv), and any part of the
               structure of the vehicle is cut within 1.85 metres of the
               ground by the tangential  plane, the highest edge shall not be
               more than 350 millimetres below the structure of the vehicle
               where it is cut by the tangential plane;

   (f)  where-

        (i)    no part of the structure of the vehicle is cut within 1.85
               metres of the ground by the tangential plane; and

        (ii)   the upper surface of the load carrying structure of the vehicle
               is less than 1.5 metres from the ground, the highest edge shall
               not be less than the height of the upper surface of the load
               carrying structure of the vehicle;

   (g)  in any case other than sub-paragraphs (d), (e) or (f), the highest
        edge shall not be less than 1.5 metres from the ground;

   (h)  the distance between the rearmost edge of the sideguard and the tyre
        nearest to it shall not exceed 300 millimetres;

   (i)  in the case of a semi-trailer not fitted with landing legs, the
        distance between the front edge of the sideguard and a point at right
        angles to the centre of the king-pin shall not exceed 3 metres;

   (j)  in the case of a semi-trailer with landing legs, the distance shall be
        as in sub-paragraph (i) unless the centre of the landing leg is less
        than 2.75 metres from the king-pin, then the front edge of the
        sideguard shall not be over 250 millimetres from the centre of the
        leg;

   (k)  in the case of a vehicle other than a semi-trailer, the front edge of
        the sideguard shall not be more than 300 millimetres from the nearest
        front tyre in the case of a motor vehicle, or 500 millimetres in the
        case of a trailer;

   (l)  all external edges of a sideguard shall be rounded at a radius of at
        least 2.5 millimetres;

   (m)  no sideguard shall be more than 30 millimetres inboard from the
        tangential plane;

   (n)  a sideguard shall not add to the vehicle's width;

   (o)  a sideguard shall extend downwards at least 100 millimetres from its
        highest edge, 100 millimetres upwards from its lowest edge and 100
        millimetres rearwards and inwards from its front edge and shall not
        have a vertical gap more than 300 millimetres nor a vertical surface
        less than 100 millimetres; and

   (p)  sub-paragraphs (h) to (k) shall not apply to any additional length
        attributed to the extending of an extendable trailer beyond its
        minimum length or to any vehicle constructed to carry a demountable
        body or lift-off container.

(4) The requirements in paragraph (3) shall apply only as far as is
practicable in the case of a vehicle fitted with a tank for carrying fluid
which is provided with valves and hose or pipe connections for loading and
unloading and in the case of a vehicle with extending stabilisers required for
stability during loading, unloading or while used for operations for which its
is designed or adapted.

(5) Every sideguard fitted to a vehicle in pursuance of this regulation shall
at all times while the vehicle is used on a road be maintained free from any
defect which might in any way affect its effectiveness. (L.N. 203 of 1990)