15 WHEEL GUARDS (MUDGUARDS)
15.1 Wheel Guards for Passenger Cars (MA)
Vehicles Only
15.1.1 General Requirements
The vehicle must be provided with wheel guards (parts
of the bodywork, mudguards, etc.) which must be so
designed as to protect other road users, as far as
practicable, against thrown-up stones, mud, ice, snow
and water and to reduce for those users the dangers due
to contact with the moving wheels.
15.1.2 Special Requirements
15.1.2.1 The wheel guards must meet the following
requirements when the wheels are in the straight ahead
position:
15.1.2.1.1 in the part formed by radial planes at an
angle of 30 degrees to the front and 50 degrees to the
rear of the centre of the wheel (see Figure 1), the overall
width (q) of the wheel guards must be at least sufficient
to cover the tyre ‘Section Width’ (b) of the tyres fitted to
the vehicle taking into account the extremes of
tyre/wheel combination as specified by the
‘Manufacturer’;
15.1.2.1.2 the rear of the wheel guards must not
terminate above a horizontal plane 150 mm above the
axis of rotation of the wheels (as measured at the wheel
centres) and furthermore the intersection of the edge of
the wheel guard with this plane (point A, Figure 1) must
lie outside the median longitudinal plane of the tyre;
15.1.2.1.3 the contour and location of the wheel guards
must be such that they are as close to the tyre as
possible; and in particular within the part formed by the
radial planes referred to in clause 15.1.2.1, they must
satisfy the following requirements:
15.1.2.1.3.1 the projection - situated in the vertical
plane of the tyre axis - of the depth (p) of the outer edge
of the wheel guards, measured in the vertical
longitudinal plane passing through the centre of the tyre,
must be at least 30 mm. This depth (p) may be reduced
progressively to zero at the radial planes specified in
clause 15.1.2.1.1; and
15.1.2.1.3.2 the distance (c) between the lower edges
of the wheel guards and the axis passing through the
centre of the wheels must not exceed 2r, ‘r’ being the
‘Static Loaded Tyre Radius’ of the tyre;
15.1.2.1.4 in the case of vehicles having adjustable
suspension height, the above mentioned requirements
must be met when the vehicle is in the normal running
position specified by the ‘Manufacturer’;
15.1.2.1.5 the wheel guards may consist of several
components, provided that no gaps exist between or
within the individual parts when assembled; and
15.1.2.1.6 the wheel guards must be securely attached.
However they may be detachable either as a unit or in
parts.
