Are steel tracks road legal.

[MilitantGraham]

A friend of mine intends to buy a CVRT soon.

Another friend has just bought an Aktiv ST4 Snow Trac which is registered for road use.

A few of us would like to take our cat. H test in the Snow Trac, but we're not sure about the current rules on steel tracks.

The tracks are rubber belts with steel cross bars for grip which also form the links for the sprockets, so they can't be removed.

Under normal use, the only part touching the road surface is the steel cross bars.

Is it legal to use a vehicle with this type of track on the road ?

If not, we will use the CVRT although there may be some delay if he buys an unregistered one and it would just be a lot simpler to take the test in the smaller vehicle.

[tyler]

As long as the vehicle is under 4 tons its legal to use metal tracks on the road, just like a bren carrier.

[John Pearson]

Although I can't prove this to be true, my understanding of the situation is this:

In the 1920's there was a plan by the government to ban steel to road surface contact by vehicles but the matter dragged on and by the time tarmaced road surfaces became common, traction engine owners had fitted rubber tyres so there was almost no one using steel tyres. This along with the problem of how word the law to allow steam rollers to continue to operate meant that in the end, no ban was introduced. The only thing that happened was that owner/drivers were made (financially) responsible for any damage they might cause to the road surface. So far as I know that is still the case.

There is a construction and use regulation that requires that no part of the track that touches the road surface can be less than 13mm wide.

When you do take your test, remember you can cancel the test and rebook it for free 'due to weather' and this can be because the day is too hot rather than the usual fog/ice! A cold, slightly damp day is best as then the tracks can slide on the tarmac without doing any damage whatever.

[tyler]

This year at a show I was talking to a Bren gun carrier owner and driver, and asked him how come he took part in the convoy though the local villages during a show, and he stated that "as long as the vehicle is under 4 tons its legal to use metal tracks on the road", hope this helps clear things up.

 

Tyler.

[MilitantGraham]

Thanks for the info.

The Snow Trac is well under 4 tons but the steel bars are actually channel section with the wide flat face against the rubber belt and the two narrow edges touching the road which are well under 13mm.

It's looking more and more like trying to find some sort of rubber tracked, road legal plant we can hire for a day is the best option. Tracked dumper or the like.

[John Pearson]

My Valentine tank weighs 17 1/2 tons, it has bare manganese steel tracks and is road registered. In fact, I took my Group H driving test in it. There was no query about weight but I did have to put the test off because the temperature was in the 80's and the tarmac was too soft. A well known Sherman owner took his test in my Valentine at the same time!

[Richard Farrant]

I remember on the 1989 MVT D-Day tour, we spent a week in Bagnoles. On the day of the parade through the town is was hot and those tanks with rubber pad tracks were not allowed to continue because they were lifting the bitumen. Those with steel tracks were causing no more than white scratches on the road.

 

Richard

[zundapp]

Justa word of caution, I took my H test in an FV434, no problem with steel tracks there, howver the examiner sid that he wouldn't test anyone in a snow cat (volvo or hagglunds) as they don't qualify. They are not a "track laying vehicle steered by its tracks". They steer by articulation.

 

David