Road Rules and Traffic Law for Heavy Vehicles
The core idea
Heavy-vehicle law layers extra duties on top of the general road rules. You must know both the universal rules (give way, speed, signals, following distance) and the heavy-specific overlays: mass and dimension limits, load restraint, fatigue hours, and chain-of-responsibility duties. Questions often test the overlay rather than the basic rule.
Concepts to master
- Give-way and intersection rules: same as cars, but your stopping distance and swept path change your practical obligation.
- Speed and following distance: posted limits are maxima; a heavy vehicle must often travel below them. Know the heavy-vehicle speed limits and any local reductions.
- Signals and lane use: indicate early, allow for blind spots, and know which lanes and roads are restricted to heavy vehicles.
- Oversize/overmass permits: operating outside standard limits requires a permit; the permit conditions are law, not advice.
- Chain of responsibility (CoR): parties in the supply chain (scheduler, loader, consignor, driver, operator) each have a primary duty to prevent breaches.
Traps in questions
- Confusing a general speed limit with the heavy-vehicle limit.
- Assuming a permit removes all limits; it sets specific conditions.
- Treating CoR as only the driver's problem. Questions often ask who else is liable.
- Ignoring that a safe speed can be below the posted limit due to load, grade, or weather.
Worked rule of thumb
Use the 3-second gap minimum, extended in rain or at night to 4-6 seconds. At 90 km/h you cover 25 m per second, so 3 seconds is about 75 m.
Key points
- Heavy-vehicle limits and restrictions override general rules.
- Permits are conditions of operation, not blanket exemptions.
- CoR duties apply across the whole supply chain.
- Posted speed is a maximum, not a target.
- Signal early and account for swept path and blind spots.