GCM and speed limits

[Mikehzz]

An interesting thread elsewhere has highlighted that the speed limit towing anything in NSW is 100kph if the GCM of the vehicle is over 4.5 tonne It's backed up by referencing the legislation. This means that a Pajero towing an empty box trailer is limited to 100kph as the GCM is over 6 tonne, while a Corolla with GCM under 4.5 tonne, towing a box trailer can do 110kph. The definition of GCM doesn't mean the weight on the day, it means the maximum weight allowed. I'll wager not many people know this? The poster of the original sent an email to the NSW RMS pointing out ambiguities in their towing handbooks and received a reply stating that he was correct and they would be making the appropriate changes to make this clearer.

[Mundy55]

..... The definition of GCM doesn't mean the weight on the day, it means the maximum weight allowed.

I don't believe this is the case. Its been canvassed on this forum before. Its the actual mass, not the potential mass.

[old Jack]

From the NSW Road Rules,

The default speed limit applying to a driver for any other length of road is—
(a) for a driver driving a vehicle with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes or a vehicle and trailer combination with a GCM over 4.5 tonnes—100 kilometres per hour, or
(b) for any other driver—100 kilometres per hour or as otherwise provided under another law of this jurisdiction.
Note 1.
Combination and trailer are defined in the Dictionary, vehicle is defined in rule 15, and GCM and GVM are defined in the Act.
Note 2.
Subrule (3)(a) is not uniform with the corresponding paragraph in rule 25 of the Australian Road Rules. Different rules may apply in other Australian jurisdictions.


As highlighted in red above, I believe this is not the GCM of the vehicle doing the towing but the actual combined weight of both the tow vehicle and the trailer being towed. So if your vehicle weighs 3000Kg you can tow a trailer weighing up to 1500Kg, over 100kph if the road speed limit is above 100kph.

OJ.