OpenLegislation

Regulation 5 Variable speed limits

Original text. Later amendments are not shown.

(1)

No person shall drive a vehicle on a section of a road which is subject to a variable speed limit at a speed exceeding that indicated by a speed limit sign.

(2)

A section of a road is subject to a variable speed limit in relation to a vehicle being driven on it if—

(a)

the road is specified in the Schedule;

(b)

the vehicle has passed a speed limit sign;

(c)

the vehicle has not subsequently passed—

(i)

another speed limit sign indicating a different speed limit; or

(ii)

a traffic sign which indicates that the national speed limit is in force; and

(d)

no speed restriction is in force by virtue of—

(i)

an order or notice under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984f1; or

(ii)

a traffic sign placed by a traffic officer pursuant to section 7 of the Traffic Management Act 2004f2.

(3)

In relation to a vehicle, the speed limit indicated by a speed limit sign is the highest of—

(a)

the speed shown at the time the vehicle passes the sign; or

(b)

the speed shown by the sign ten seconds before the vehicle passed the sign (if different).

(4)

In relation to a vehicle, a speed limit sign is to be taken as not indicating any speed limit if, ten seconds before the vehicle passed it, the sign showed no speed limit or was a traffic sign which indicates that the national speed limit is in force.

(5)

In this regulation—

  • “the 2016 Regulations and Directions” means the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016f3;

  • “national speed limit” has the meaning given by Schedule 1 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions;

  • “a traffic sign which indicates that the national speed limit is in force” in relation to a vehicle means a traffic sign of the type shown in diagram 671 in Part 2 of Schedule 10 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions which is—

    1. (a)

      placed on or near a road; and

    2. (b)

      directed at traffic on the carriageway on which the vehicle is being driven;

  • “road” includes the adjacent hard shoulder and verge, as those terms are defined in the 1982 Regulations; and

  • “speed limit sign” in relation to a vehicle means a traffic sign of the type shown in diagram 670 in Part 2 of Schedule 10 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions which is—

    1. (a)

      placed on or near a road; and

    2. (b)

      directed at traffic on the carriageway on which the vehicle is being driven.

Annotations

Footnotes

f1

Section 14 was substituted by the Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991 (c. 26), section 1(1) and Schedule 1.

f2

2004 c. 18.

f3

S.I. 2016/362, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.