The Road Vehicles (Construction
and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2022
Made 21st January 2022
Laid before Parliament 24th January 2022
Coming into force 14th February 2022
These Regulations amend the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use)
Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986/1078, the “1986 Regulations”) by
making provision to allow certain vehicles on the roads in Great
Britain to utilise elongated cabs and rear aerodynamic devices
and equipment (type approved in accordance with the relevant
standard) which improve aerodynamic performance, CO2 emissions,
fuel consumption and driver vision.
Regulation 3 amends regulation 3 of the 1986 Regulations to
define valid “aerodynamic devices and equipment” and “elongated
cab” by reference to the standards given in underlying
legislation. Additionally, valid aerodynamic devices and
equipment are exempted from the calculation of “overall length”,
and “overall width”.
Regulation 4 amends regulation 7 of the 1986 Regulations to
provide that valid elongated cabs utilised on particular classes
of vehicle or vehicle combination are exempted from the length
requirements contained in regulation 7 that would otherwise
apply; the overall length of a vehicle or vehicle combination
will still be constrained by the turning circle requirements
contained elsewhere in the 1986 Regulations.
Regulation 5 introduces a new regulation 96A and regulation 96B
to the 1986 Regulations which prohibit the use on a road of
aerodynamic devices and equipment or elongated cabs other than on
the approved classes of vehicle or vehicle combination listed in
the relevant item of the Table in regulation 7.
Good practice guidance on the use of aerodynamic devices and
equipment has been published on www.gov.uk.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this
instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private,
voluntary or public sectors is foreseen. A De Minimis Assessment
has been prepared. An Explanatory Memorandum has been published
alongside these Regulations at www.legislation.gov.uk.
(1)
1988 c. 52; section 41 was amended by the Scotland Act 2016 (c.
11), Part 4, section 43, the Road Traffic Act 2006 (c. 49),
sections 18(1) and 56, and the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40),
Schedule 4, paragraph 50 and Schedule 8.
(2)
S.I. 1986/1078, relevant amending instruments: S.I. 1990/17, S.I.
1998/1188, S.I. 2003/182, S.I. 2017/881; there are other amending
instruments but none is relevant.
(3)
EUR 2012/1230, as amended by S.I. 2020/1393.
(4)
OJ L 353, 21.12.2012, p. 31.
(5)
OJ L 291, 12.11.2019, p. 17.
(6)
EUR 2018/858, as amended by EUR 2019/2144, S.I. 2020/818 and S.I.
2020/1393.
