South Australian Consolidated Regulations

ROAD TRAFFIC (VEHICLE STANDARDS) RULES 1999 - REG 33

33—Mudguards and spray suppression

        (1)         A vehicle must have firmly fitted:

            (a)         a mudguard for each wheel or for adjacent wheels; and

            (b)         for each axle group and single axle on a vehicle that is part of a B-double—spray suppression devices complying with Parts 1 and 2 of British Standard AU200–1984 Spray Reducing Devices for Heavy Goods Vehicle.

        (2)         However, subrule (1) (a) does not apply to a vehicle if:

            (a)         the construction or use of the vehicle makes the fitting of mudguards unnecessary or impracticable and the vehicle is not driven or towed at a speed greater than 40 kilometres an hour; or

            (b)         the body or part of the body of the vehicle acts as a mudguard.

Examples of vehicles to which subrule (2) (a) applies—

        1         Timber jinkers.

        2         Most road-making plant.

        3         Some agricultural equipment.

        (3)         A mudguard fitted to a vehicle with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes must, when the wheels of the vehicle are in position to move straight ahead:

            (a)         reduce the danger of a person contacting the moving wheels; and

            (b)         for the rear wheels:

                  (i)         cover the overall tyre width of the wheel or wheels to which it is fitted; and

                  (ii)         be fitted so the height above ground level of the lowest edge of the rear of the mudguard is not over one-third of the horizontal distance between the edge and the centre of the rearmost axle.

        (4)         However, a mudguard may be up to:

            (a)         230 millimetres above ground level; or

            (b)         on a vehicle built to be used off road—300 millimetres above ground level.

        (5)         The outside of a rear mudguard, except a mudflap, of a vehicle that can be seen from the rear of the vehicle must be coloured white or silver if the vehicle:

            (a)         is at least 2.2 metres wide; and

            (b)         has a body the vertical measurement of which is under 300 millimetres at the rear, measured from the lowest point of the body above ground level to the highest point; and

            (c)         is not fitted with rear marking plates in accordance with rule 119.

        (6)         For subrule (5) (a), the width of a vehicle is measured disregarding any anti-skid device mounted on wheels, central tyre inflation systems, lights, mirrors, reflectors, signalling devices and tyre pressure gauges.