Weight and Width Restrictions

An efficient system of road freight transport is essential to the national economy. Industry and commerce, offices and shops all depend on a complex flow of raw materials, components and finished goods. Lorries are now quieter, safer and less polluting than before due to several measures including more sophisticated suspensions, reduction of emissions and engine noise as well as air brake silencers now being considered standard equipment.

 

An HGV ban can be introduced to prohibit large vehicles from using unsuitable roads, by means of height, weight or width restrictions. However, this is impossible on certain routes. Throughout Hampshire, the County Council designate a number of roads as Abnormal Indivisible Load Routes. These are routes that are identified for transporting unusually heavy, wide or high loads.  If any changes to these routes are made it must not prevent them from being used for abnormal loads.  Therefore, any measures to discourage Heavy Goods Vehicles would not be appropriate.

 

In some situations, however, a restriction on the use of a road by Heavy Goods Vehicles can be beneficial overall. The use of such a road by other road users needs to be considered and the disadvantages to HGVs weighed up against the advantages to others.

                

Advantages:

 

Disadvantages: