Monday, November 30, 2009

"New" Dutch regulation on transporting loads on car roof

Good news for Dutch (sea)kayakers driving a compact car: Dutch traffic-rules on transporting large loads on a vehicle have changed. Before May 1st, 2009 it wasn't allowed to drive with a long load that sticks out of the front of the car. For an owner of a compact car this made it difficult to transport a 5 meter-plus seakayak on the roof (safe and) legally. According to the new rules long indivisible loads are allowed to protrude the car on front and back side both up to 1 meter. Also the (for kayaks non-realistic) obligation to attach a large red/white sign on the end of the portruding load has vanished.

The new rules have been largely unnoticed. On last weeks' episode of the Dutch TV-program "Blik op de weg" an item was dedicated to this issue. The item starts in the 15th minute of this
streaming video.

2 comments:

René said...

Hi Hans,

That is very good news for me and my small VW-polo.

Finally the perfect excuse to buy myself a seakayak-double or one of those 6,5 m seakayak racing-machines. ;-)

René

Hans Heupink said...

Hello René!
That's quit a long Polo?! With the new family car I can also transport a kayak up to 6,50 m long - but the boat-house is limiting, kayaks over 5,5 m are crushed by the doors...
greetings,
Hans