Can a liquid cargo in partly-filled containers or cisterns affect the stability of the vehicle?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
C. Yes.
Explanation
In the photo there is a lorry with a shiny stainless steel tank with several hatches on top. Liquid loads in partly filled containers or tanks may make the vehicle unstable - the answer is C.
The Road Traffic Act requires you to place the load so that it does not affect the stability of the vehicle, and to drive at a speed that takes the vehicle's load into account. Liquid in a partly filled tank moves every time you brake, accelerate or turn: when you brake, a wave hits the front wall and pushes the vehicle forwards, then it bounces back and jerks it backwards, and in a bend it moves to the side and tilts the tanker. The more free space there is, the stronger the effect - that is why a half-full tank (answer A) is actually one of the most dangerous cases, and answer B contradicts physics. Baffles and compartments reduce the movement of the liquid, but they do not remove it. With a partly filled tanker you brake earlier and more gently, and you take bends more slowly.
Legal basis: Art. 61 para. 2 point 2 and Art. 19 para. 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)