What do the terms 'passenger capacity' and 'rated capacity' mean in Subject 4?
2 Answers
The meanings of 'passenger capacity' and 'rated capacity' in Subject 4 are as follows: 1. Passenger capacity: The actual number of passengers carried, the real value. 2. Rated capacity: The designed number of passengers or tonnage that can be carried. Additional information: Passenger capacity generally refers to carrying people, while rated capacity does not necessarily do so; sometimes it can also refer to carrying goods. As for the actual load, it refers to the real number of people or weight. Overall, the rated capacity is essentially a theoretical value. In many cases, the rated capacity does not equal the actual load, but if the actual load exceeds the rated capacity, it will result in overloading or overcrowding. For highway passenger vehicles, carrying more passengers than the rated number or violating regulations by carrying goods will result in penalties for the driver.
I’ve been preparing for Subject 4 of the driving test recently and just reviewed the concepts of actual passenger load and rated passenger capacity. Actual passenger load refers to the number of people actually in the car—for example, if you take 4 friends out for fun, the actual passenger load is 4. Rated passenger capacity, on the other hand, is the maximum number of people the car is designed to carry, usually stated on the vehicle registration certificate. The difference between these two is crucial. Subject 4 tests this to make sure we understand not to drive overloaded. My driving instructor always emphasized that a car rated for 5 people carrying 6 is overloaded, which reduces braking performance and makes the steering wheel heavier. Nowadays, there are many traffic cameras on the road, and if caught overloading, you’ll get 6 demerit points and a 200-yuan fine. So, always count the passengers before driving—never squeeze in extra people for convenience.
