CONVENTION ON ROAD TRAFFIC

The Contracting Parties, desiring to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety through the adoption of uniform traffic rules, have agreed upon the following provisions:

Chapter II

RULES OF THE ROAD

ARTICLE 30

Loading of vehicles

1. If a permissible maximum mass is laid down for a vehicle, the laden mass of the vehicle shall never exceed the permissible maximum mass.

2. Every load on a vehicle shall be so arranged and, if necessary, stowed as to prevent it from:

(a) Endangering persons or causing damage to public or private property, more particularly by trailing on or falling on to the road;

(b) Obstructing the driver's view or impairing the stability or driving of the vehicle;

(c) Causing noise, raising dust, or creating any other nuisance which can be avoided;

(d) Masking lights, including stop lights and direction-indicators, reflex reflectors, registration numbers and the distinguishing sign of the State of registration with which, under this Convention or under domestic legislation, the vehicle is required to be equipped, or masking signals given by arm in accordance with Article 14, paragraph 3, or Article 17, paragraph 2, of this Convention.

3. All accessories, such as cables, chains and sheets, used to secure or protect the load shall be drawn tight around the load and be firmly fastened. All accessories used to protect the load shall satisfy the requirements laid down for the load in paragraph 2 of this Article.

4. Loads projecting beyond the front, rear or sides of the vehicle shall be clearly marked in all cases where their projection might not be noticed by the drivers of other vehicles; at night, a white light and a white reflecting device shall be used for such marking at the front and a red light and a red reflecting device at the rear. More particularly, on power-driven vehicles:

(a) Loads projecting more than 1 m beyond the front or rear of the vehicle shall always be marked;

(b) Loads projecting laterally beyond the outer edge of the vehicle in such a way that their lateral outer edge is more than 0.40 m from the outer edge of the vehicle's front position (side) light shall be marked at the front at night, and loads projecting in such a way that their lateral outer edge is more than 0.40 m from the outer edge of the vehicle's red rear position (side) light shall be similarly marked at the rear at night.

5. Nothing in paragraph 4 of this Article shall be construed as preventing Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof from prohibiting, restricting, or subjecting to special authorization, load projections as referred to in the aforesaid paragraph 4.