Length limitNetherlands
Traffic rules
Netherlands
1. Length limit
A length limit is a restriction that prohibits vehicles or vehicle combinations longer than a specified maximum length from entering a road or area. The stated length normally includes the complete vehicle combination and any load where national rules specify this.
Length restrictions are commonly used where long vehicles cannot safely negotiate narrow streets, tight bends, bridges, tunnels or other constrained road layouts. Drivers whose vehicle exceeds the indicated limit must use another permitted route.
Why might a road have a vehicle-length restriction in Netherlands?
A limit may protect tight bends, bridges or streets where a long combination cannot turn or pass safely, including around older canal bridges, tunnels and village streets. Read the actual sign; a length prohibition is different from a general warning about a narrow road.
🔗 government.nl • Dutch Government, road rules and signs — RVV articles 62; Annex 1 C17–C21
🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • RVV 1990 — official Dutch legislative reference
Vehicles longer than indicated prohibited.
English • Traffic sign C17 • No vehicles or vehicle combinations longer than indicated, including their load.
Nederlands • Verkeersbord C17 • Gesloten voor voertuigen en samenstellen van voertuigen die, met inbegrip van de lading, langer zijn dan op het bord is aangegeven.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Wetten.overheid.nl • RVV 1990, bijlage 1
Image via Commons.wikimedia.org
SVG version by Bouwe Brouwer • Public domain • Source revision 2007-08-31. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Is a trailer included in the signed length restriction in Netherlands?
Where the sign restricts the length of a vehicle combination, measure the complete combination rather than just the towing vehicle. Any protruding load may also matter under the local legal measurement rules. Check the wording and vehicle class covered by the sign.
🔗 government.nl • Dutch Government, road rules and signs — RVV articles 62; Annex 1 C17–C21
🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • RVV 1990 — official Dutch legislative reference
What if your vehicle combination exceeds a signed length limit in Netherlands?
Choose another permitted route before entering the restricted section. Do not assume a wide carriageway is suitable: long vehicles need room for their swept path, particularly at sharp bends, junctions and roundabouts.
🔗 government.nl • Dutch Government, road rules and signs — RVV articles 62; Annex 1 C17–C21
🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • RVV 1990 — official Dutch legislative reference
