Question:
I am going to take a trip next month but would like to confirm if my vehicle will be considered overloaded or not.
Its a normal sedan with 3 people at the back,2 of them carrying kids one is 2 years old and the other is 5 years old.
The total number will be 7 people in the car.
Answer:
The regulation states that you are allowed one person for every 380mm bottom space. 2 kids between 3 and 6 are counted as one and 3 kids between 6 and 12 are counted as 2. Babies 3 years and under are not counted.
See reg 231 and 232 of the National Road Traffic Regulations.
Technically yes the vehicle will be overloaded with one person.
The 5 Adults take op the 5 persons allowed in the vehicle. The 2 year old is not counted but 2 5 year olds’ count for 1 person. However there is no half counts. The 5 year old will therefore be seen as a 6th person in the vehicle.
Regards
Alta
Alta Swanepoel & Associates
[We cannot however leave this there as we need to focus as well on the safety of the occupants. The question need to be asked whether everyone will be buckled in and effectively restrained inside the vehicle.
The last thing we would like to see is a number of small kids on the back seat not buckled in!! Ensure that each and every person is buckled in and kids are secured with baby seats , child restraints or seatbelts!]