73Ground clearance

73 Ground clearance

(1) In this rule:

ground clearance, of a vehicle, means the minimum distance to the ground from a point on the underside of the vehicle, except a point on a tyre, wheel, wheel hub, brake backing plate or flexible mudguard or mudflap of the vehicle.

(2) A motor vehicle or combination must have a ground clearance of: (a) at least 100 millimetres at any point within 1 metre of an axle; and (b) at least one‑thirtieth of the distance between the centres of adjacent axles at the midpoint between them; and (c) at any other point—at least the distance that allows the vehicle or combination to pass over a peak in the road with a gradient on either side of 1:15, if the wheels of 1 axle of the vehicle or combination are on the slope on one side of the peak and the wheels of the next axle are on the slope on the other side. (3) However, subrule (2) does not apply to: (a) a motor vehicle with less than 4 wheels; or (b) a combination that includes a motor vehicle with less than 4 wheels.

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Ground clearance at the mid‑point between 2 axles

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Ground clearance over a peak in the road