Are protruding side steps legal?
What's the legal situation with regard to vehicles that have protruding foot steps? I regularly see MPV taxis with side access steps fitted, sometimes nearside only and sometimes both sides, which jut out quite a way beyond the body work. The most extreme example is fitted to a Peugeot Boxer Utah parked near me, the non-folding side step must be 25cm wide and at least 15cm of that sticks out beyond the wheels. These look dangerous to me - they're higher than any kerb - primed to slice through legs should the vehicle travel too close to the pavement. Okay, wing mirrors protude as well, but they fold under impact and are made of plastic that would shatter or deform, whereas these side steps are rigid steel.They put me in mind of blades fitted to chariot wheels!
Asked on 3 July 2024 by Awed
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Taxis that offer disabled access are required by law to provide side steps and hand rails - the precise requirements are outlined in great detail here: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64673a23d23...f The only specification within this list that could apply to vehicle steps is point 16.2, which states 'All ‘hard’ parts contactable with a 100mm sphere, which form an external surface or protrude 5mm or more from the external surface must have a radius of curvature of at least 2.5mm', which means that the any step must have rounded edges to reduce harm in the event of a collision.
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