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Extension of Loads
Any plans to run one of your children (and their things) back to
their dorm for another semester? Will you be visiting your friendly, local
home-improvement center? Are you also someone who can never get friends or
relatives to loan you their truck; and, in the process, your ski rack’s been
doubling to carry lumber, etc. too? Well, if such activity finds you
extending loads beyond the actual size of your vehicle, you’ll want to bear
in mind that there is, in fact, a law regulating such situations.
Protuberances are addressed under the “Front and rear extensions of load.—“
statute (31-25-7, RIGL) which, in part, reads…
the load upon any vehicle, …shall not extend more than three feet (3’)
beyond the foremost part of the vehicle, and the load upon any vehicle,
operated …shall not extend more than six feet (6’) beyond the rear of the
bed or body of the vehicle. Violations of this section are subject to
fines enumerated in Statute 31-41.1-4.
One would also do well,
in such situations, to “flag” extended loads with a bright/fluorescent, or
similarly-contrasting soft piece of material affixed to the end of those
loads, so as to alert other motorists— in addition to guiding oneself in
backing and/or negotiating tight turns, etc. Should one of your activities
related to this concern actually be while visiting that friendly
home-improvement center, you’ll be pleased to know that the floor staff are
typically only too eager in assisting-- not only in your load-up of that
unwieldy order, but they’re also usually sure to keep a good supply of
complimentary (plastic, orange-colored) “flags” for the ends, too!
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