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Vehicle owners may now refer to the Specifications of Wheel Guards (Mudgards and Mudflaps) Notice under the Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations (Chapter 374) for detailed information on the requirements for wheel guards.

The Specifications, published in today's (Friday) Gazette, will apply to vehicles registered on or after June 1 this year.

Requirements for wheel guards of vehicles registered before that date are also being drawn up.

Speaking on this, a spokesman for the Transport Department said the Specifications were set out to improve the standards of wheel guards and to enhance road safety.

"The Notice has laid down general and special requirements for wheel guards with a view to more effectively protecting road users, as far as possible, against thrown-up stones, mud and water.

"Wheel guards shall also be able to reduce the danger of those users of coming into contact with the rotating wheels," he added.

Some of the terms detailed in the Notice include:

* the mudguard should be extended to the full width of

the tyre. However, it must not be extended beyond to

a maximum of 75 mm for non-steerable wheel and 100 mm

for steerable wheel;

* the maximum height of the bottom edge of the mudflap

should not exceed 230 mm;

* the mudflap should be at least as wide as the tyre

tread pattern;

* components of the wheel guards should be firmly

attached to the vehicle; and

* for vehicles with multiple axles, tyres should be

treated as separated for mudguarding purpose if the

distance between them on two parallel axles is greater

than 300 mm.

The spokesman reminded that all buses, goods vehicles, trailers and special purpose vehicles should comply with the Specifications or those detailed in the Council Directive of the European Economic Community.

As for other vehicles, they should fulfill the requirements on mudguards in the Specifications, or other national or international standards subject to the Commissioner for Transport's approval.

End/Friday, May 15, 1998

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