With the vanning season quickly approaching, I was wondering how many vanners know what a "long vehicle" is by legal definition and what are some of the legal requirements of driving a "long vehicle". Before I paste below the extract from Transport Operations Road Use Management Road Rules Regulations (Queensland), I just want to ask......how long is your tow vehicle and caravan? If the combination is longer than 7.5 metres, then the following comes into play for following distances...
127Keeping a minimum distance between long vehicles
(1)The driver of a long vehicle must drive at least the required minimum distance behind another long vehicle travelling in front of the driver, unless the driver is
(a)driving on
(i)a multi-lane road; or
(ii)a length of road in a built-up area; or
(b)overtaking.
Maximum penalty20 penalty units.
(2)In this section
long vehiclemeans a vehicle that, together with any load or projection, is 7.5m long, or longer.
required minimum distancemeans
(a)for a road train200m; or
(b)otherwise60m.
Another one for discussion is as follows and involves restriction on parking in a built up area
200Stopping on roadsheavy and long vehicles
(1)The driver of a heavy vehicle, or long vehicle, must not stop on a length of road that is not in a built-up area, except on the shoulder of the road.
Maximum penalty20 penalty units.
(2)Subject to subsections (2A) and (2B), the driver of a heavy vehicle, or long vehicle, must not stop on a length of road in a built-up area for longer than 1 hour, unless the driver is permitted to stop on the length of road for longer than 1 hour by information on or with a traffic control device.
Maximum penalty20 penalty units.
(2A)The driver of a heavy vehicle, or long vehicle, may stop on a length of road in a built-up area for longer than 1 hour if the driver is engaged in dropping off or picking up goods for all of the period when the vehicle is stopped.
(2B)Subsections (1), (2) and (2A) apply unless a local law otherwise provides.
(3)In this section
long vehiclemeans a vehicle that, together with any load or projection, is 7.5m long, or longer.
roaddoes not include a road-related area, but includes any shoulder of a road.
Thought that this might make for interesting reading and discussion.
Tones
-- Edited by Tones on Saturday 11th of February 2023 10:29:45 AM
It doesn't take much for a towed vehicle to add up to 7.5m. My kluger is 5m by itself. With a 1m drawbar, any little box trailer would make me "long". Here in WA, we are also permitted to put on the "do not overtake turning vehicle" stickers to our van when we are "long". Even my previous little 11ft van made me "long".
