Protruding loads and passengers

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Protruding loads and carrying passengers: the signalling required, the limits allowed and the driver's responsibilities.

Coverage, Protruding loads and passengers

Lesson objectives

Understand the rules for load overhang at the rear of a vehicle and mandatory signaling Master the maximum authorized dimensions (length, width, height) and associated prohibition signs Know the safety obligations for passengers and loads in a vehicle

Protruding loads: essential rules

A load can protrude from the rear of your vehicle, but according to strict rules. The limit depends on the length of the overhang and the presence of appropriate signaling.

Rear overhang: authorized length and signaling

Situation Overhang allowed Signalling Ordinary load 1 m maximum (art. 46.2.3) None Indivisible pieces of great length up to 3 m Mandatory as soon as the overhang exceeds 1 m Trains of vehicles transporting cars up to 1.50 m Mandatory beyond 1 m Bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles, quadricycles 0.50 m (art. 46.2.2) , At the front No overhang , except 0.50 m for car carriers (art. 46.2.1) , The two columns are independent: the sign does not authorize a longer overhang, it signals an overhang already authorized.

Indivisible load

A load that cannot be bent, retracted, or divided into several parts, a beam, a pipe, a mast. It is this quality of indivisibility , and it alone, that allows the rear overhang to be increased from 1 m to 3 m (art. 46.2.3). A divisible load remains limited to 1 m even if it is signalled.

Overhang of 1 m: authorized and not signalled

You are transporting a 5 m plank on a 4 m van: the plank overhangs by one meter at the rear. This is within the general limit of article 46.2.3, and the signalling of article 47.1 is not required since it only applies beyond one meter.

Overhang of 3 m: reserved for indivisible loads, and signalled

You are transporting a 7 m beam on a 4 m van: the overhang is 3 m . It is only permitted because the beam is an indivisible piece of great length , the same length in stackable planks would be prohibited. And since it exceeds one meter, signalling is mandatory .

Do not confuse the two rules. The length authorized depends on the nature of the load: 1 m in general, 3 m for an indivisible piece of great length. Signalling , on the other hand, depends solely on the measurement of the overhang: it becomes mandatory as soon as it exceeds 1 m. Placing a sign therefore never makes an overhang lawful if it was not already.

The warning sign for overhanging loads

The sign of article 47: its exact characteristics

By day (art. 47.1): square sign 0.50 m per side , fixed to the furthest projection of the load, maintained in a vertical plane perpendicular to the vehicle's axis. It is painted with alternating red and white bands of approximately 75 mm width, one diagonal of the square being red, the red bands being retroreflective . When lighting is required (art. 47.2): the same sign, supplemented by a red light directed towards the rear and an orange reflector on each side . The highest point of these devices must not be more than 1.60 m from the ground, nor the lowest point less than 0.40 m .

Overhanging load with appropriate signalling

The maximum dimensions of the vehicle

Your vehicle, including load , must not exceed certain dimensions. Specific prohibition signs control access according to length, width and height.

Legal limits and signs: two different things

Dimension Legal limit of the loaded vehicle Sign that may impose less Width 2.55 m for a car (variable depending on the vehicle, art. 46.1) C27 Height 4 m (art. 46.3) C29 Length fixed by technical regulation C25 Laden mass , C21 Signs C25, C27, C29 and C21 do not state the general limit: they impose a stricter one at a given location. A perfectly legal vehicle may therefore be prohibited from crossing a bridge.

C25

The C25 sign indicates the maximum length of the vehicle. Vehicles or trains of vehicles whose length, including load, exceeds the indicated value, for example ten meters, cannot pass. This sign mainly concerns trucks, buses and vehicles with trailers.

C27

C27, Maximum width of the vehicle. Your vehicle, including load, must not exceed the indicated width. For example, two point thirty meters. Check your mirrors and the load, especially overhanging materials and pallets, before proceeding.

C29

The C29 sign indicates the maximum height allowed for your vehicle. Including load, you must not exceed the displayed height, for example three meters eighty. This sign is crucial before a bridge, tunnel or covered passage. Failure to comply with this instruction can result in a serious accident and damage to the infrastructure.

Before proceeding on a road, always check signs C25, C27 and C29. If your loaded vehicle exceeds any of these limits, you cannot pass. An infringement can result in a fine and penalty points.

Passengers and available space

Passengers: seat belt, children and front seats

The number of passengers at the front depends on the available width inside the vehicle. Each person must have minimal space to ensure comfort and safety.

What the code requires for passengers

Article 35.1.1 sets out the rules that the exam tests: the driver and passengers must wear the seatbelt at seats equipped with one; children under 18 years old measuring less than 135 cm must be transported in an appropriate restraint device ; at seats without a seatbelt , children under 3 years old must not be transported; at front seats without a seatbelt , children under 18 years old measuring less than 135 cm must not be transported. These rules do not apply in vehicles with more than eight seats in addition to the driver, nor in taxis, where the child under 135 cm then sits at the rear . As for the minimum width per occupant at the front, 55 cm for the driver, 40 cm per passenger, this falls under the technical regulations and not the road code.

Calculating the number of authorized passengers

Your car has an interior width of 150 cm . The driver occupies 55 cm . This leaves 95 cm for passengers. You can accommodate 2 passengers at the front (2 × 40 cm = 80 cm).

Interior layout of a car with passengers

Prohibition signs related to laden mass

Sign C21 prohibits access to vehicles whose laden mass exceeds the indicated value. Attention: this sign concerns the actual weight of the loaded vehicle, not the MMA.

Laden mass (LM)

Actual weight of a vehicle at any given time, including the driver, passengers and load, as measured on a scale.

C21

C21, Access prohibited to vehicles whose laden mass exceeds the indicated value. The figure, for example three point five tonnes or seven point five tonnes, represents the total actual weight of the vehicle, including load. This sign serves to protect fragile bridges, narrow streets or residential areas from heavy traffic.

Sign C21 and private car

A C21 sign indicates 3.5 t . Your private car weighs 1,500 kg when empty. With you, two passengers and cargo, the LM reaches 1,700 kg . You can pass: your LM is less than 3.5 t .

Key points to remember

Rear overhang : 1 m as a general rule; 3 m only for indivisible pieces of great length ; 1.50 m for car carriers; 0.50 m for two-wheelers At the front : no overhang, except 0.50 m for car carriers Signalling mandatory as soon as the overhang exceeds 1 m , rule distinct from authorized length The sign : square of 0.50 m , retroreflective red and white stripes; at night, red light towards the rear and orange reflector on each side, between 0.40 m and 1.60 m from the ground C25, C27, C29 impose stricter limits than the law at a given location; C21 concerns laden mass , not MMA Seatbelt mandatory at seats equipped with one; restraint device for children under 18 years old and under 135 cm No child under 3 years old at a seat without a seatbelt; no child under 135 cm at a front seat without a seatbelt

Congratulations!

First complete the quiz for this lesson to validate your learning, then practice on the exam simulator and MCQs . You have completed this entire course. Congratulations, now for the practical part!

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