Road Traffic Act 1972

76 Vehicles carrying overhanging or projecting loads

(1) Without prejudice to sections 68 to 75 of this Act, where a vehicle on a road during the hours of darkness carries a load overhanging laterally on any side more than twelve inches from the centre of the outermost of the lamps showing a white light to the front on that side, the vehicle shall carry, in substitution for or in addition to that lamp, a lamp showing to the front a white light visible from a reasonable distance and in such a position that no part of the load overhangs laterally more than twelve inches beyond a vertical line through the centre of the substituted or additional lamp.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) below, where a vehicle on a road during the hours of darkness carries a load projecting to the rear more than three and a half feet behind its tail lamp, the vehicle shall carry a rear lamp in such a position that no part of the load projects to the rear more than three and a half feet behind that rear lamp.

In this section " rear lamp " means a lamp showing to the rear a red light visible from a reasonable distance.

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations direct that in relation to vehicles of any prescribed class subsection (2) above shall have effect with the substitution, for references to three and a half feet, of references to such longer distance, not being more than six feet, as may be prescribed in respect of vehicles of that class.

(4) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that, subject to any prescribed exceptions, where a vehicle on a road during the hours of darkness carries a load overhanging laterally by more than the prescribed distance (measured from such point as may be specified in the regulations), the vehicle shall carry a rear lamp in the prescribed position to indicate the overhang; and any such regulations may apply to a vehicle otherwise exempted from carrying a rear lamp by section 77 of this Act.

(5) Every rear lamp carried in pursuance of this section or regulations made under it shall comply with the prescribed conditions and shall, subject to subsection (6) below, be carried in addition to the tail lamp.

(6) The Secretary of State may by regulations exempt a vehicle carrying a rear lamp in pursuance of this section from carrying a tail lamp or from carrying two tail lamps.

(7) Nothing in section 75(1)(b) of this Act shall exempt any implement or vehicle to which that paragraph applies from complying with subsections (2) to (5) above or any regulations made under them, but in relation to any such implement or vehicle a reference to the red reflectors required by section 69(1) of this Act shall be substituted for the reference in subsection (2) above to the tail lamp.