What are the rules for transporting bulky items? Can an individual who buys, for example, five meter pipes leave them protruding from the back of his car? Can someone else position their surfboard on the roof, tip forward, above the hood? And on the side, can the windows be opened to transport lintels longer than the width of the vehicle? And are there any height requirements?
“No height limitation, but provided that the load does not move”
We asked all these questions to Fabrice Pons, from the Crouin driving school, in Cognac. Lengthwise, on the front of the vehicle, he first explains, cargo must not dangle above the road: “It is maximum at the level of the hood,” explains Fabrice Pons. At the rear, however, the load can extend beyond the end of the car (or truck), up to 3 meters. “From over 1.5 meters, however, the driver must attach a reflective device to the end. We are talking about something luminous that can be seen from afar. A simple cloth is not enough.”
135 euros fine for offenders
Fabrice Pons continues: “This system must even be supplemented with a red light in the event of poor visibility when it is dark for example or when there is fog.” In width, the Highway Code specifies: “The loading of a vehicle, measured with all projections included in any cross section, must nowhere exceed 2.55 meters” (Article R312-20)
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In terms of height, “there is no limitation”, assures Fabrice Pons. “The only rule is to strap the load in such a way that it doesn’t move at all.” An obvious fact in passing: the driver who stacks cargo on the roof must be careful to respect the prohibitions on certain access points (tunnels, underground car parks and the entrance to most recycling centers).
The driving school manager points out another rule: when loading, you must ensure that the license plate and traffic lights are visible. If an object hides the vehicle number, a second plate must be attached over it.
What do offenders risk? A fourth category fine, i.e. 135 euros.
