4. Overall length of motor vehicle or trailer
(1) No person shall drive an articulated vehicle on any road if the vehicle's overall length exceeds eighteen comma five metres.
(2) No person shall drive a bus train on any road if the overall length of the bus train exceeds twenty metres.
(3) No person shall drive on any road any motor vehicle and trailer, or any other combination of vehicles, if the overall length of the combination exceeds twenty-two metres.
(4) No person shall drive on any road a motor vehicle other than:
(a) a construction vehicle or construction trailer; or
(b) a semi trailer; or
(c) a vehicle referred to in subsection (1), (2) or (3);
if the overall length of the vehicle exceeds twelve comma five metres.
(5) For the purposes of this section, the overall length of a vehicle includes any draw bar and any tail board, but does not include any ladder fixed to the rear of any vehicle or trailer for gaining access to the roof or such protective equipment such as bull bars and "D" rubbers.
(6) Notwithstanding subsection (3), a cane transportation unit, whether loaded or empty may be used within the boundaries of a farm or for the purposes of crossing any major or public road that passes through such farm provided that:
(a) it shall not be driven at a speed in excess of twenty kilometres per hour; and
(b) the rearmost trailer thereof shall be fitted with a warning sign complying with the requirements of section 38 and there shall be affixed to the front and rear of the unit, a special warning sign which shall:
(i) be not less than two thousand millimeters in length and three hundred millimeters in height; and
(ii) bear the word "ABNORMAL" in red reflective lettering on a white reflective background; and
(iii) consist of lettering of uniform size which shall be not less than two hundred millimetres in height and the stroke thereof shall be not less than fifty millimetres;
and
(c) the warning sign and special warning sign referred to in paragraph (b) shall be kept clean at all times.
5. Width of motor vehicle or trailer
(1) No person shall drive on any road a motor vehicle or trailer, other than a construction vehicle or construction trailer, if the width of the motor vehicle or trailer exceeds two comma six five metres.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the width of a motor vehicle or trailer includes all fittings and fixtures, other than a rear view mirror.
6. Height of motor vehicle or trailer
(1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle or trailer on any road if the height of the motor vehicle or trailer exceeds four comma six metres.
(2) No person shall drive an omnibus on any road if the overall height of the omnibus exceeds three comma two metres unless:
(a) such omnibus is not fitted with a roof rack; and
(b) such omnibus has a tilting certificate issued by the manufacturer of the omnibus or an authority recognised by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe which shall be displayed and sufficiently protected in the omnibus for checking by any authorized person at any time when such omnibus is being used on any road.
(3) No person shall drive a trailer bus on any road if the overall height of the trailer bus exceeds three comma seven metres.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (2) "omnibus" means any bus designed for and capable of carrying passengers or both passengers and goods whether for hire or reward or otherwise and includes any commuter omnibus or long distance bus but excludes a trailer bus.
7. Overhang of motor vehicle or trailer
(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any road if the motor vehicle's overhang:
(a) exceeds seventy per centum of its wheel-base, in the case of a motor vehicle which is:
(i) constructed primarily for the carriage of passengers and whose overall width does not exceed two comma one metres; or
(ii) constructed primarily for the carriage of passengers and whose overall width exceeds two comma one metres, and which is fitted with more than one rear axle; or
(iii) designed or adapted for use and used solely in connection with street cleaning or the disposal of refuse;
or
(b) exceeds sixty per centum of its wheel-base, in the case of other motor vehicle.
(2) No person shall use a trailer on any road if the trailer's overhang:
(a) exceeds seventy per centum of its wheel-base, in the case of a trailer designed or adapted for use and used solely in connection with street cleaning or the disposal of refuse; or
(b) exceeds sixty per centum of its wheel-base, in the case of any other trailer.
(3) This section shall not apply to construction vehicles or construction trailers.
[Note: Illustrations designed to assist in calculating the overhang of a vehicle appear in the First Schedule.]
8. Distribution of mass
(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any road if:
(a) less than twenty per centum of a motor vehicle's total mass is carried on:
(i) any one axle, where the motor vehicle has two axles;
(ii) any one axle or any one pair of axles, where the motor vehicle has three axles;
or
(b) less than thirty per centum of its total mass is carried on any one pair of axles, where the motor vehicle has four or more axles.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), two or more axles in line across a motor vehicle shall be deemed to be one axle.
9. Axle configurations
(1) No person shall drive on any road any heavy vehicle or heavy trailer unless its axle configurations comply with the specifications of the Second Schedule.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), an abnormal heavy vehicle or abnormal heavy trailer may be driven on a road only between 0600 and 1800 hrs if such heavy vehicle or heavy trailer:
(a) is registered as such with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and is displaying the abnormal vehicle registration number and carrying the registration certificate in respect of such vehicle or trailer;
(b) is a combination of vehicles commonly known as a road train of maximum length 42 metres, a width of 2.6 metres and has a maximum weight of 152 tonnes when loaded maybe used on designated roads to convey specific goods;
(c) is accompanied by escort vehicles when in operation.
(3) The road train referred to in subsection (2)(b) shall only make use of designated routes or roads as specified in the abnormal vehicle permit.
(4) A road train being used on a road or route referred to in subsection (3) shall in addition meet the following requirements:
(a) it shall not exceed a speed of 60 km/h; and
(b) it shall be equipped with bright red flags at least 600 millimetres by 600 millimetres in dimension attached by vertical poles mounted on the extremities of the vehicle; and
(c) warning boards at least 2 000 millimetres by 300 millimetres high bearing the word "ABNORMAL" in red reflective letters, 200 millimetres high on a white background mounted at the front and rear; and
(d) a flashing amber beacon light shall be fitted to the vehicle and illuminated whenever the vehicle is on the road.
(5) The designated route or road used by a road train shall have signs placed on the road after every ten kilometres and at every junction which shall be written in reflective white 150 millimetres high lettering on a sea-green background.
(6) The provisions for road trains specified in this section do not exempt road trains from complying with any other law governing them.
(7) Failure to comply with this section shall result in the withdrawal of the abnormal vehicle permit or any other authority granted for the operation of a road train.
10. Steering system
(1) No person shall drive on a road a motor vehicle:
(a) unless all components of the steering system are secured, retained and maintained in a condition which enables the vehicle to be steered safely and efficiently;
(b) unless in addition to the requirements of paragraph (a), all parts of the steering mechanism are so adjusted that, unless otherwise designed by the manufacturer, the amount of movement which the steering wheel makes before the steering gear becomes effective in changing the direction of the steerable wheels from a position where such wheels are parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle to the right or left is not more than 45° or 12.5% of the outside circumference of the steering wheel;
(c) which is fitted with an anti-theft device that enables the steering wheel to be disengaged or disconnected from the steering mechanism of the vehicle;
(d) which is equipped with a purely hydraulic steering mechanism unless it also has some means of mechanical steering for use in an emergency.
(2) No person shall drive on a road a motor cycle:
(a) unless the handlebars thereof are symmetrically placed in relation to the longitudinal centre-line of the cycle;
(b) unless the distance between the outside edges of the handlebars is at least 600 millimetres in respect of a motor cycle with an engine cylinder capacity of 200 cm³ or more and at least 500 millimetres in respect of all other motor cycle; or
(c) of which the outer ends of the handgrips on the handle bars are:
(i) higher than 500 millimetres above the seat height; or
(ii) lower than the seat height and more than 800 millimetres apart.
11. View to front and side
No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any road if the motor vehicle is so designed, adapted or constructed or its windows or windscreen, are so tinted or shaded that its driver, while controlling the vehicle, does not have a full view of the road and traffic on either side abreast of him or her as well as ahead of the vehicle.
12. View to rear
(1) No person shall drive on any road:
(a) any motor vehicle, other than a heavy vehicle or commercial motor vehicle, unless it is equipped with a rear view mirror or mirrors, which enable the driver to have a clear and adequate reflection of traffic to the rear of the vehicle including the right and left rear of the vehicle; or
(b) a motor cycle equipped with two wheels, unless it is equipped with at least one rear view mirror fitted at the right side and adjusted as to enable the driver to have a clear and adequate reflection of traffic to the right rear of the motor cycle; or
(c) a heavy vehicle or commercial motor vehicle unless two externally fitted rear view mirrors on either side of the vehicle which are so fitted and adjusted to enable the driver to have a clear view of traffic to the rear of the vehicle.
(2) The rear view mirrors referred to in subsection (1) shall be of such size and quality as to enable the driver to have a clear and adequate view and are designed for use on vehicles for this specific purpose and approved by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe.
(3) Whenever the vision of the driver of a motor vehicle which is drawing a trailer or trailers on any road is impaired for any reason so that he or she cannot become aware of any other vehicle to his or her right or left rear, he or she shall ensure that a person who is a holder of a valid learners' licence or tractor drivers permit or driving licence is carried on one of the trailers in a position which affords an uninterrupted view to the rear and which enables the second mentioned person to communicate to the driver the effect of signals given by drivers of other vehicles behind his vehicle and to receive and communicate to the drivers of those vehicles, by means of appropriate hand signals, an indication of the intention of the driver of his or her vehicle to stop or to change direction.
13. Certain motor vehicles to be able to move backwards and forwards
No person shall drive on any road a motor vehicle whose net mass exceeds three hundred and twenty kilograms unless the vehicle is capable of being driven so that it may travel both backwards and forwards.