IT is hereby notified that the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, in terms of section 81 of the Road Traffic Act [Chapter 13:11], has made the following regulations:
1. Title and date of commencement
(1) These regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use) Regulations, 2015.
(2) These regulations shall come into operation on the 14th of December, 2015.
2. Interpretation
In these regulations:
"at night" means the period between half past five o'clock in the afternoon and half past six o'clock the following morning;
"auto-cycle" means that part of the axle on which the wheel revolves;
"axle arm" means that part of the axle on which the wheel revolves;
"beacon light" means a flashing light fitted to a vehicle in such a manner that the light emitted from it is visible from any direction in a horizontal plane;
"brake decelerometer" means any equipment designed and normally used to measure the deceleration of a motor vehicle for the purpose of determining the efficiency of its brakes;
"brake roller tester" means equipment which makes use of rollers and a display dial or digital meter which is used to measure the braking force applied on each wheel of a motor vehicle or trailer;
"bus train" means an articulated vehicle which is an omnibus with the drawing vehicle and trailer so interconnected that it allows free movement of persons between units;
"cane transportation unit" means a combination of vehicles used exclusively for the transportation of sugar cane;
"commercial motor vehicle" means a motor lorry, tractor, van, including vehicles commonly known as "pick up" double cabs, breakdown van or any similar motor vehicle not exceeding two thousand three hundred kilograms in net mass, but does not include vehicles commonly known as "station wagons" and goods vehicle adapted for the carriage of passengers;
"construction vehicle" means a vehicle:
(a) specifically designed to perform a specific function in the construction business which otherwise cannot be performed by an ordinary vehicle; and
(b) is not capable of attaining a speed in excess of 40 km/h; and
(c) is solely used at construction sites or environment for which it is designed to operate; and
(d) listed in the Seventh Schedule as a construction vehicle;
"definitions of diamond grade, honeycomb and engineering grade reflective material" means any material designed to reflect light back to its source;
"direction indicator", in relation to any vehicle means:
(a) a blinking or flashing white or amber light fitted to the front of the vehicle and a blinking or flashing red or amber light fitted to the rear of a vehicle; or
(b) a blinking or flashing light fitted to the side of the vehicle and showing a white or amber light to the front and a red or amber light to the rear of such vehicle;
"fog lamp" means a lamp designed to improve road surface illumination in fog, snow, heavy rain or dusty conditions, usually characterized by wide side spread and enables the driver to see clearly through fog, snow, heavy rain or dusty conditions;
"footbrake" refers to the braking system which is designed for and ordinarily used for slowing down or bringing the vehicle to a halt when in motion and commonly referred to as "in motion or service brake";
"handbrake" refers to the braking system that is designed for and ordinarily used for keeping a vehicle in a stationary position or parked and commonly referred to as the "parking brake" and may be used in an emergency;
"hazard warning lamps" means:
(a) two or more blinking or flashing white or amber lights fitted to the front of a vehicle which emit white or amber light to the front of the vehicle; or
(b) two or more blinking or flashing red or amber lights fitted to the rear of a vehicle which emit red or amber light to the rear of the vehicle; or
(c) two or more lamps fitted to the sides of a vehicle and designed so as to emit white or amber light to the front and red or amber light to the rear of the vehicle;
all of which being designed to blink or flash simultaneously when a special switch is operated;
"height lamps" means identification lamps also referred to as "clearance lamps" indicating the highest point at the front or rear of a vehicle;
"horn" means an electrical or mechanical instrument capable of emitting a continuous sound immediately when operated and clearly audible, under normal conditions at a distance of not less than one hundred metres and includes a device commonly referred to as a "hooter" but does not include a siren or any other device capable of emitting a sound similar to or which can be confused with that of a siren.
Provided that a horn shall emit a sound of at least 101 dB (A) and not more than 118 dB (A);
"noise meter" means any equipment designed for and normally used to determine the level of noise pollution produced by vehicle systems including exhaust systems;
"overhang" in relation to any vehicle, means the distance measured horizontally, and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, between two vertical planes at right angles to that axis passing through:
(a) rear most point of the vehicle, exclusive of:
(i) any ladder permanently fixed to the vehicle and used for gaining access to the roof; and
(ii) luggage-carrier fixed to the vehicle, where the vehicle is a motor vehicle constructed solely for the carriage of not more than seven passengers and their effects; and
(b) any of the following points:
(i) in the case of a motor vehicle with two axles, one of which is not a steering axle, the centre point of that axle; or
(ii) in the case of a motor vehicle having three axles where the front axle is the only steering axle, the point one hundred millimetres behind the centre of a straight line joining the centre-points of the rear and middle axles; or
(iii) in the case of a motor vehicle with three axles, the front two of which are the steering axles, the point hundred millimetres behind the centre of a straight line joining the centre-point of the third and the fourth axles; or
(iv) in any other case, the point situated on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and such that a line drawn from it at right angles to the axis will pass through the centre of the minimum turning-circle of the vehicle:
Provided that in determining the overhang of a semi trailer, the centre of the kingpin shall be deemed to be the centre of the steering axle.
[Note: Illustrations, designed to assist in calculating the overhang of a vehicle appear in the First Schedule.]
"pedal cycle" includes any auto-cycle, bicycle or tricycle;
"registration plate" means a plate bearing the registration mark and number assigned to a motor vehicle or a trailer in terms of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act [Chapter 13:14] and conforming to any regulations made in terms of that Act;
"retro reflector" means a reflector of glass or other reflective material designed to reflect light back to its source;
"ride" includes cause or permit to be ridden;
"safety belt" means a harness or safety belt assembly, including both a lap and a diagonal strap, as defined in the Central African Standard 223:1982;
"safety glass" means glass manufactured or treated that, if fractured, it does not readily shatter into fragments capable of causing severe cuts;
"safety helmet" means a helmet which covers the head and is designed for use by riders of motor-cycles;
"smoke meter/analyzer" means any equipment designed and normally used to determine the density and additionally, or alternatively, the constituents of the exhaust smoke or gases from the engine of a motor vehicle;
"strip track" means that part of a road constructed with strips of cement, concrete, tar macadam or any other material, and includes that portion of the road lying between such strips;
"trailer bus" means a semi-trailer designed to carry passengers;
"wheel-base" means a distance between the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a vehicle which passes through the centre or centres of the front wheel or wheels and the foremost vertical plane from which the overhang is measured.
3. References to standard publications
(1) Any reference in these regulations to any standards published by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe or any other International Standards Authority, shall imply that such standard is the minimum requirement in the relevant section and that the onus shall be on whoever is concerned to prove to the Standards Association of Zimbabwe that any other standard he or she is tendering meets the minimum requirement as provided for herein.
(2) Any standards referred to in these regulations shall be available for inspection, hire or sale at the Standards Association of Zimbabwe's offices at Northwood Close, Northridge, Borrowdale, Harare.