S.I. No. 247/2014 - Road Traffic (Plating and Speed Rating of Agricultural Vehicles) Regulations 2014.

1. A speed disc shall consist of a round white disc of non-reflecting material with a diameter of 200 millimetres.

2. The disc shall have a black border between 3 millimetres and 5 millimetres in width.

3. The disc shall consist of a flat surface.

4. The disc may be fixed onto a larger and differently shaped area such as bodywork or a plate affixed to the vehicle provided that all requirements of these Regulations are fulfilled.

5. All information on the disc shall be in black type and shall not be handwritten.

6. The font type shall be normal, clearly legible and upright.

7. Italic scripts are not permitted.

8. All digits shall be in the same font size being a minimum of 100 millimetres in height and 50 millimetres in width.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

4 June 2014.

LEO VARADKAR,

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

The Regulations require from 1st January 2016

(

a

) the fitment of a manufacturer’s plate to an agricultural tractor and an authorisation plate to an agricultural trailer.

Retrospective fitment of plates to existing vehicles will also be required from 1st January 2016 but will only apply

(i) in the case of agricultural tractors, in circumstances in which the tractor has a maximum design speed exceeding 40 kilometres per hour or is being used to draw tandem or triaxle rigid drawbar agricultural trailers with laden weights exceeding 19 or 22.5 tonnes respectively, and

(ii) in respect of agricultural trailers, in cases in which the trailer is capable by design of being drawn at a speed exceeding 40 kilometres per hour or operating at weights exceeding the aforementioned limits.

The Regulations also provide for the operational arrangements relating to the fitment of authorisation plates by trailer manufacturers and their authorised distributors.

(

b

) the fitment of a speed disc to an agricultural tractor, a self-propelled agricultural machine, an agricultural trailer, and interchangeable towed equipment showing the maximum design speed.

Fitment to new vehicles, irrespective of the design speed of the vehicle, will be required from 1 January 2016. Retrospective fitment of discs to existing vehicles will also be required from 1 January 2016 but will only apply in the case of vehicles which are capable by design of either being driven or drawn at a speed exceeding 40 kilometres per hour.

The Regulations also provide for the operational arrangements relating to the fitment of speed discs by manufacturers and their authorised distributors.

1 OJ L 27, 30.1.2010.

9. The examiner shall measure and record the trailers length and width, disregarding from the measurement those items which are to be disregarded in the calculation of overall width when a trailer is fitted with flotation tyres in accordance with Regulation 23 of the Road Traffic (Construction & Use of Vehicles) Regulations 2003 (

S.I. No. 5 of 2003

) as amended.

SCHEDULE 3

SPEED DISCS

10. (1) An agricultural tractor or a self-propelled agricultural machine shall not be driven, and an agricultural trailer or interchangeable towed equipment shall not be drawn, in a public place at a speed exceeding

(

a

)40 kilometres per hour unless it is fitted with a speed disc;

(

b

) the speed rating displayed on its speed disc;

(

c

) the speed limit applicable to the public place in which it is travelling.

(2) A combination of agricultural vehicles shall not be used in a public place at a speed that exceeds the maximum design speed of the slowest vehicle in the combination.

SCHEDULE 1

MODEL PLATING CERTIFICATE OR AUTHORISATION PLATE FOR AN AGRICULTURAL TRAILER

SCHEDULE 2

PLATING CERTIFICATE AND AUTHORISATION PLATE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

10

th June

, 2014.

I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by

sections 5

and

11

of the

Road Traffic Act 1961

(No. 24 of 1961),

sections 10

and

11

of the

Road Traffic Act 1968

(No. 25 of 1968) and the National Roads and Road Traffic (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 (

S.I. No. 298 of 2002

) (as adapted by the Transport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (

S.I. No. 141 of 2011

)) hereby make the following regulations

Part 1

Preliminary and General

Citation and commencement.