8.1 Vehicle Condition, Equipment, Loads and Towing
Key Takeaways
Private motor vehicles 10 years old or older must have an annual Licensing Authority inspection, and defects must be corrected within 14 days (reg. 14A, 2017).
Tyres must be free from defects, silencers must work, and horns must be of an approved type (regs. 35, 34 and 31(17)).
A load may not project more than 150 mm beyond either side, or more than 150 cm in front or behind, without a Licensing Authority permit (reg. 31(19) and (20)).
Loads must be packed and secured so that nothing can fall or shift dangerously, and it is an offence if any part of a load falls from the vehicle (reg. 149).
A vehicle towing a trailer is limited to 30 km/h, and a learner must not drive a vehicle drawing a trailer (reg. 87(1)(a) and s.63(6)).
A roadworthy vehicle and a secure load are legal duties as well as common sense. Regulation 21 makes it an offence to use a motor vehicle or trailer on a road in breach of the construction and equipment rules in Part III of the Road Traffic Regulations, 1984.
Checks before you drive
| Item | Legal rule | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | Part III, regs. 16 and 17 (trailers need brakes too) | Firm pedal, no pulling to one side, handbrake holds |
| Tyres | Free from any defect that could damage the road or endanger anyone (reg. 35) | Tread depth, cuts, bulges, correct pressure |
| Silencer and exhaust | Exhaust must pass through a working silencer that is not altered to be louder (reg. 34(3) and (4)) | Leaks, rattles, smoke |
| Smoke and spills | No smoke, sparks, grit or oily substance that could cause damage or danger (reg. 34(5)) | Oil leaks, heavy smoke |
| Lights and reflectors | Regs. 22 to 25 (see 7.2) | All lamps working and clean |
| Horn | Of a kind approved by the Licensing Authority (reg. 31(17)) | Works, not altered |
| Seat belts | Must be fitted to the required seats (s.36B; see 8.2) | Belts present and working |
Barbados test papers ask which features you would check to make sure your vehicle is fit for the road. Mechanical items such as brakes, tyres, lights and steering are the safety checks. Paperwork such as insurance and registration is a separate legal duty (see 11.2).
Annual inspection of older private vehicles (reg. 14A)
Since the Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations, 2017, the Licensing Authority inspects every private motor vehicle that is 10 years old or older each year, on payment of the fee. If the vehicle is not in a fit and proper condition, the owner is told the defects in writing and given 14 days to correct them. If they are not corrected, the Authority must refuse to register the vehicle.
Other equipment rules
- Left-hand-drive vehicles must carry the words "LEFT HAND DRIVE" on the rear, in letters at least 3 cm high (reg. 35A).
- Screens. A television screen must not be visible to the driver in the driving seat, and its controls (other than volume and the main switch) must be out of the driver's reach (reg. 38).
- Unnecessary noise. A vehicle must not be used so as to cause avoidable excessive noise (reg. 34(6)), and music or a radio played to the annoyance of others is an offence (see 9.2).
Carrying loads (regs. 31(19) and 149)
The driver or owner must not carry, or allow to be carried, any timber, beam, lumber or other item projecting:
- laterally more than 150 mm beyond either side of the vehicle or trailer;
- more than 300 mm beyond the plane of the wheels;
- longitudinally more than 150 cm in front or behind; or
- in a way that obstructs, endangers or interferes with traffic.
The Licensing Authority may issue a permit for an abnormal load, limited to stated hours, a stated route and conditions, and the permit must be carried and produced on request (reg. 31(20)).
Under regulation 149, a load must be packed and adjusted so that it does not endanger other traffic, secured so that it cannot fall or move dangerously, and carried in a suitable vehicle. The person in charge commits an offence if the load or any part of it falls from the vehicle, and it is also an offence to exceed the vehicle's gross registered tonnage.
Very long trailers (12 m or more) and containers of 36 tonnes or more may use only the roads in the Twelfth Schedule, and may not be parked or offloaded in St. Michael, Oistins, Speightstown or Holetown between 07:00 and 19:00 (reg. 31(25) and (26)).
People in the vehicle
- The driver must not allow the vehicle to be overcrowded, or allow anyone to ride other than inside it (reg. 31(21)). Riding on the outside of a vehicle is not allowed.
- Goods and public service vehicles may carry only one person beside the driver unless certified for more (reg. 31(4)).
Refuelling (reg. 33)
It is an offence to put petrol into a vehicle's tank or a container while the engine is running, or while any light other than an electric light is lit on the vehicle. It is also an offence to smoke, strike a match or expose a naked light close to a petrol station or while petrol is being filled.
Towing
- A motor vehicle drawing one or more trailers is limited to 30 km/h (reg. 87(1)(a)).
- Trailers must be equipped with brakes (reg. 17), and at night the rear lamps go on the back of the trailer (reg. 24(3)).
- A learner must not drive a vehicle while it is drawing a trailer (s.63(6)).
- When towing a broken-down vehicle, tow only that vehicle, use a secure tow rope or bar, keep the rope visible, have a licensed driver steering the towed car, and drive slowly and smoothly.
Which private motor vehicles must have an annual Licensing Authority inspection under regulation 14A?
Only vehicles used as taxis
Only vehicles imported second-hand
Those that are 10 years old or older
All private vehicles, from their first year
Without a permit, how far may a load project behind a vehicle under regulation 31(19)?
Any distance, if a red flag is tied on
Not more than 150 cm
Not more than 300 cm
Not more than 50 cm
What does regulation 33 require when you put petrol in your car?
The engine must not be running while you fill the tank
The car must be in gear with the handbrake off
The headlamps must be switched on
Passengers must stay inside with the doors locked
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.