Commonwealth Numbered Regulations

1986 No. 291 INTERSTATE ROAD TRANSPORT REGULATIONS - REG 2

2. (1) In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears-

"conforming vehicle" means a vehicle that is so designed that-

   (a)  each of its axles is-

        (i)    a single axle or part of a single axle; or

        (ii)   an axle included in a prescribed axle group; and

   (b)  in the case of a trailer other than a semi-trailer-each wheel fitted
        to an axle located at the front of the vehicle is connected to the
        steering mechanism for the front part of the vehicle;

"gross vehicle mass", in relation to a vehicle, means the maximum laden mass
specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle in respect of the vehicle;

"load sharing suspension system", in relation to an axle group of a vehicle,
means a suspension system that-

   (a)  by hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical or other means, ensures that at
        any time a substantially equal share of the load borne by the axle
        group is transmitted to the road by each of the wheels in the axle
        group; and

   (b)  has effective damping characteristics on all the axles included in the
        axle group;

"prescribed axle group" means-

   (a)  a tandem axle group;

   (b)  a triaxle group; or

   (c)  a twin-steer axle group;

"prime mover" means a motor vehicle the rear part of which is so designed as
to allow the front part of a semi-trailer to be superimposed upon, and be
attached to, it so as to pivot about a point of articulation located on it;

"registration number", in relation to a motor vehicle or trailer, means the
code displayed, in accordance with regulation 21, on the registration plate of
the motor vehicle or trailer;

"relevant Registration Authority", in relation to a registered motor vehicle
or trailer, means the Registration Authority that registered the motor vehicle
or trailer;

"semi-trailer" means a trailer that is so designed that-

   (a)  its front part can be superimposed upon, and attached to, the rear
        part of a motor vehicle so as to pivot about a point of articulation
        located on the rear part of the motor vehicle; and

   (b)  when its front part is attached to a motor vehicle in the manner
        specified in paragraph (a), part of the mass of the trailer is borne
        by the motor vehicle;

"single axle", in relation to a vehicle, means-

   (a)  an axle of the vehicle that is not part of an axle group; or

   (b)  an axle group of the vehicle consisting of 2 adjacent axles and having
        a space of less than one metre between the axles;

"tandem axle group", in relation to a vehicle, means an axle group of the
vehicle, other than a twin-steer axle group, consisting of 2 adjacent axles
related to each other through a load sharing suspension system and having a
space of not less than one metre and not more than 2 metres between the axles;

"the Act" means the Interstate Road Transport Act 1985;

"triaxle group", in relation to a vehicle, means an axle group of the vehicle
consisting of 3 adjacent axles related to each other through a load
sharing suspension system and having a space of not less than 2 metres and not
more than 3.2 metres between the foreaxle and the back axle;

"twin-steer axle group", in relation to a motor vehicle, means an axle group
of the motor vehicle-

   (a)  that consists of 2 axles each of which is fitted with one wheel at
        each end;

   (b)  the 4 wheels of which are connected to the same steering mechanism;
        and

   (c)  that has a space of not less than one metre and not more than 2 metres
        between the axles.

(2) In sub-regulation (1), a reference to the space between 2 axles of a
vehicle is a reference to the space between the centre lines of those axles
when those centre lines are lying each on one of 2 parallel vertical planes.