UK Statutory Instrument 1986 United Kingdom

Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

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At a glance

Enforced by

DVSA, VCA

What's here

73 compliance obligations, 8 practical guides · 6 journeys

Penalty landscape

28 of 73 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 45 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Any Person 61
  • Manufacturer 9
  • Operator 2

Plus 1 non-business duty on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.

Step-by-step journeys using this legislation

Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.

Relevant guidance

Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.

Direct — cites this Act

1 guides

Supporting — topic alignment

6 guides

Mentioned in related content

1 guides

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Manufacturers also bound by 82 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Operators also bound by 125 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Part I — PRELIMINARY

Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.modification of regulations in relation to vehicle

Modification of Regulations in relation to vehicles for which a Minister’s approval certificate has been issued under the Motor Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 1996

Part II — REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES

s.009

Height

Unlimited fine
  • Ensure buses do not exceed 4.57 metres in height Any Person
s.011

Overhang

  • Ensure vehicle rear overhang does not exceed legal limits Any Person
s.028

Tracks

Unlimited fine
  • Maintain vehicle tracks to safety and road-protection standards Any Person
s.030

View to the front

Unlimited fine
  • Maintain a full and clear view of the road through the windscreen Any Person
s.039

Fuel tanks

  • Ensure vehicle fuel tanks are leak-proof and secure Any Person
s.041

Minibuses

  • Ensure minibuses meet specific technical and safety standards Any Person
s.053

Mascots

  • Ensure vehicle mascots and ornaments are safe and unlikely to cause injury Any Person
s.062

Closets etc

  • Use only safe, chemically treated toilets in road vehicles Any Person
s.063

Wings

  • Equip vehicles with wings or mudguards to catch road spray Any Person
s.additional exits from double-decked coaches

Additional exits from double-decked coaches

  • Equip double-decked coaches with secondary emergency exits Any Person
s.exhaust systems motor cycles

Exhaust systems motor cycles

Unlimited fine
  • Ensure motorcycle exhaust systems and silencers meet noise and marking standards Any Person
s.fuel

FUEL

  • Ensure vehicle fuel tanks are leak-proof and meet technical standards Any Person
s.minibuses and coaches to be fitted with additional

Minibuses and coaches to be fitted with additional seat belts when used in certain circumstances

  • Fit seat belts to minibuses and coaches used for organized child trips Any Person
s.noise limits maintenance requirements relating to

Noise limits maintenance requirements relating to motor cycles

  • Maintain motorcycle exhaust systems to comply with noise limits Any Person
s.speed limiters

Speed limiters

  • Fit and maintain speed limiters on buses and coaches Any Person
s.strength of superstructure

Strength of superstructure

  • Ensure coach superstructure meets safety strength standards Any Person
s.(unknown)

(unknown)

  • Fit and maintain speed limiters on heavy goods vehicles Any Person
s.warning devices where certain high level equipment

Warning devices where certain high level equipment is fitted to a vehicle

  • Equip vehicles with high-level equipment with height warning devices Any Person
Browse 48 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.alternative means of compliance

Alternative means of compliance

s.couplings on trailer pneumatic braking systems

Couplings on trailer pneumatic braking systems

s.emission of smoke, vapour, gases, oily substances

Emission of smoke, vapour, gases, oily substances etc—further requirements for certain motor vehicles first used on or after 1st January 2001

s.end-of-series exemption

End-of-series exemption

s.interpretation of regulations 10a and 10b

Interpretation of regulations 10A and 10B

s.noise limits—certain vehicles first used on or aft

Noise limits—certain vehicles first used on or after 1st October 1996—general

s.retrofitting and refilling of certain air conditio

Retrofitting and refilling of certain air conditioning systems

s.review of regulation 18

Review of regulation 18

s.review of regulations 61 to 61b

Review of regulations 61 to 61B

s.speed limiters — authorised sealers

Speed limiters — authorised sealers

s.turning circle—articulated vehicles incorporating

Turning circle—articulated vehicles incorporating a car transporter

s.turning circle—articulated vehicles other than tho

Turning circle—articulated vehicles other than those incorporating a car transporter

s.turning circle—heavy motor car

Turning circle—heavy motor car

s.tyre noise

Tyre Noise

s.vehicles to which regulation 10a applies

Vehicles to which regulation 10A applies

Part III — PLATES, MARKINGS, TESTING AND INSPECTION

s.073

Test date discs

  • Display a valid test date disc on goods vehicle trailers Any Person
s.marking of date of manufacture of trailers

Marking of date of manufacture of trailers

  • Stamp the year of manufacture on light trailers Manufacturer
s.plate relating to dimensions

Plate relating to dimensions

  • Equip buses and heavy motor cars with a dimensions plate Any Person
s.speed limiters—plates

Speed limiters—plates

  • Install a speed limiter plate in the driving compartment Any Person
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part IV — CONDITIONS RELATING TO USE

s.093

Use of sidecars

  • Do not attach a sidecar to the right-hand side of a motorcycle Any Person
s.101

Parking in darkness

Unlimited fine
  • Park on the correct side of the road at night Any Person
s.103

Obstruction

Unlimited fine
  • Do not leave vehicles where they cause an obstruction Any Person
s.104

Driver's control

Unlimited fine
  • Maintain full control of your vehicle and a clear view of the road Any Person
s.105

Opening of doors

Unlimited fine
  • Do not open vehicle doors so as to endanger others Any Person
s.106

Reversing

Unlimited fine
  • Do not reverse a vehicle further than necessary Any Person
s.109

Television sets

Unlimited fine
  • Ensure drivers cannot see non-essential screens or televisions Any Person
s.110

Mobile telephones

Unlimited fine
  • Do not use hand-held devices while driving or supervising Any Person
s.111

Review

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must review and report on braking and vehicle regulations Crown / Minister / Government department
s.use of aerodynamic devices and equipment

Use of aerodynamic devices and equipment

Unlimited fine
  • Restrict use of aerodynamic devices to specific vehicle types and positions Any Person
s.use of elongated cabs

Use of elongated cabs

Unlimited fine
  • Ensure vehicles with elongated cabs meet specific regulations Any Person
s.use of mechanical coupling devices

Use of mechanical coupling devices

  • Ensure tow bars on light passenger vehicles meet European standards Any Person
s.use of secondary coupling on trailers

Use of secondary coupling on trailers

Unlimited fine
  • Equip trailers with automatic braking or secondary coupling systems Any Person
Browse 15 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.additional braking requirements for motor vehicles

Additional braking requirements for motor vehicles carrying or hauling dangerous goods

s.avoidance of danger

AVOIDANCE OF DANGER

s.saving for the road vehicles (authorised weight) r

Saving for the Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998

Schedules

s.005

GAS SYSTEMS

  • Ensure vehicle gas systems and containers meet safety and design standards Any Person
s.sch003b

AUTHORISED SEALERS

  • Comply with speed limiter sealing standards and conditions Any Person
s.sch005a

HYDROGEN FUELLED MACHINERY

  • Ensure hydrogen-fuelled machinery meets safety and design standards Manufacturer
Browse 11 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
s.sch002a

VEHICLES FOR WHICH A MINISTER'S APPROVAL CERTIFICATE HAS BEEN ISSUED UNDER THE MOTOR VEHICLES (APPROVAL) REGULATIONS 1996

s.sch003a

EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN VEHICLES FROM THE APPLICATION OF REGULATION 39A

s.sch007a

MOTOR CYCLE NOISE AND MOTOR CYCLE SILENCERS

s.sch007b

EMISSIONS FROM CERTAIN MOTOR VEHICLES

s.sch007xa

END OF SERIES EXEMPTIONS

Other sections — not classified into a Part

These sections exist in the Act but the contents-of-Parts walker did not place them under a Part. Likely amendments or sections inserted out of the original Part structure.

Browse 3 other unclassified sections
s.exceptions relating to intermodal transport operat

Exceptions relating to intermodal transport operations

s.ministry plate

MINISTRY PLATE

Read the full Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Official guidance

Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

DVSA

Primary

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Regulates drivers, vehicles, and operators in UK road transport. Issues operator licences for goods vehicles (HGVs) and PSVs. Enforces roadworthiness and driver …

VCA

Vehicle Certification Agency

Type approval authority for new vehicles, components, and systems. Certifies that vehicles meet safety and environmental standards. Issues UK type approvals replacing …

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