What’s the maximum permissible load on a single drive axle of a vehicle travelling on public roads?
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Correct answer
B. 11.5 tonnes.
Explanation
In the photo, a close-up of the front axle of a large lorry with massive tyres. The maximum permissible load on a single drive axle of a vehicle travelling on public roads is 11.5 tonnes - answer B.
The Public Roads Act states that vehicles with a permissible load on a single drive axle of up to 11.5 t are allowed on public roads. Since 2021 this has been the general rule - in the past, 11.5 t applied only on a designated road network. The road authority may lower this value to 10 t or 8 t on selected sections, but it must mark this with sign B-19 "no entry for vehicles with an axle load of more than ... t" or with a suitable sign from the E-15 series. The answer 9.5 tonnes does not appear in the regulations, and 16 tonnes is a value from a completely different area - this is, for example, the maximum permissible mass above which you must not park in a built-up area outside designated car parks. You know the axle loads from the vehicle documents and from weighing after loading.
Legal basis: Art. 41 para. 1 and 3 of the Public Roads Act; § 20 para. 5 and 6 and § 65 para. 1 and 2 of the Regulation on road signs and signals