The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002

Regulation 58

SCHEDULE 15 LEGENDS FOR USE ON VARIABLE MESSAGE SIGNS

PART I PRELIMINARY

1.—(1) In a legend prescribed by this Schedule the number of a junction shall be shown in the form of the letter “J” followed by the number of the junction.

(2) Where this Schedule provides for a route number to be displayed on a sign, a compass point (“NORTH”, “SOUTH”, “EAST” or “WEST”) or an abbreviated compass point (“N”, “S”, “E”, “W”, “NW”, “NE”, “SW” or “SE”) may be added to the route number.

(3) Where any part of a legend prescribed by this Schedule is shown in square brackets, the brackets shall not be displayed on a sign.

(4) Different legends or different parts of the same legend displayed on a sign in accordance with this Schedule may be separated by a dash.

PART II SIGNS AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATED BY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

2.  One of the following legends may be displayed on a sign which is activated by a particular type of vehicle approaching the equipment which controls the sign—

(a) “OVERHEIGHT VEHICLE DIVERT” with—

(i) an arrow;

(ii) “USE” and a route number; or

(iii) “FOLLOW” and a symbol shown in Part VII of Schedule 13;

(b) “OVERHEIGHT VEHICLE TURN BACK”;

(c) “HIGH VEHICLE USE MIDDLE OF ROAD”; or

(d) “ONCOMING VEHICLE IN MIDDLE OF ROAD”.

PART III LEGENDS GIVING WARNINGS OF ADVERSE WEATHER OR OTHER TEMPORARY HAZARDS OR INCIDENTS

3.—(1) A legend specified in sub-paragraph (2) may only be used in conjunction with—

(a) a legend specified in Part IV;

(b) a legend specified in Part V; or

(c) a combination of a legend specified in Part IV and a legend specified in Part V.

(2) The legends specified in this sub-paragraph are—

(a) “ACCIDENT”;

(b) “ANIMALS”;

(c) a route number, a junction number or “EXIT” and “CLOSED”;

(d) “CONGESTION”;

(e) “DEBRIS”;

(f) “DELAYS”;

(g) “DIVERSION”;

(h) “EXIT CLOSED”;

(i) “FLOODS”;

(j) “FOG”;

(k) “FOG PATCHES”;

(l) “INCIDENT”;

(m) “LANE CLOSURE”;

(n) “LANE[S]” followed by a number or numbers and “CLOSED”;

(o) “LARGE LOAD”;

(p) “LONG DELAYS”;

(q) “MOBILE WORKS”;

(r) “MOTORWAY CLOSED”;

(s) “NO PHONES”;

(t) “OBSTRUCTION”;

(u) “PEDESTRIANS”;

(v) “QUEUE”;

(w) “ROAD CLOSED”;

(x) “ROAD WORKS”;

(y) “SKID RISK”;

(z) “SLIP ROAD CLOSED”;

(aa) “SMOKE”;

(bb) “SNOW”;

(cc) “SNOW PLOUGH”;

(dd) “SPRAY”;

(ee) “STRANDED VEHICLE”;

(ff) “[STRONG] WINDS”;

(gg) “[The name of a tunnel] TUNNEL CLOSED”;

(hh) “WEIGHT CHECK”;

(ii) “WORKFORCE”.

(3) The following legends may be displayed on their own or in conjunction with another legend as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) “[The name of a bridge] BRIDGE CLOSED”;

(b) “BUS LANE CLOSED”;

(c) “GRITTING IN PROGRESS”;

(d) “NEXT SERVICE AREA CLOSED”;

(e) “ONCOMING VEHICLE”;

(f) “SETTING OUT ROAD WORKS”;

(g) “SLOW MOVING LARGE LOAD”.

(4) In sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) square brackets are used to indicate things which may be omitted.

PART IV LEGENDS INDICATING LOCATION OF TEMPORARY HAZARD OR INCIDENT

4.  One of the following legends may be used only in conjunction (either on its own or in combination with a legend specified in Part V) with a legend specified in Part III—

(a) a route number;

(b) “ON [name of bridge] BRIDGE” or “ON BRIDGE”;

(c) “AT” together with—

(i) a place name,

(ii) the name of a bridge or tunnel,

(iii) a junction name or number or a junction number and “EXIT”, or

(iv) “NEXT JCT” or “TOLL”;

(d) “AFTER” together with—

(i) a place name,

(ii) the name of a bridge or tunnel,

(iii) “BRIDGE” or “TUNNEL”,

(iv) a junction name or number, or

(v) “NEXT JCT”;

(e) a number and “MILES”;

(f) “AHEAD” preceded by a legend specified in paragraph 3(2)(v) or (w) only;

(g) “FOR” together with a number and “MILES”;

(h) “IN ROAD”;

(i) a junction number;

(j) a junction number “TO” and another junction number;

(k) “ON SLIP ROAD”;

(l) “TO” and a route number.

PART V ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

5.—(1) A legend specified in sub-paragraph (2) may be used only in conjunction with a legend specified in Part III or a combination of a legend specified in Part III and a legend specified in Part IV.

(2) The legends referred to in sub-paragraph (1) are—

(a) a number and “HR DELAYS”;

(b) [“ALL TRAFFIC”] [“CARS”] [“CARAVANS”] [“HGV'S”] [“HIGH SIDED VEHS”] [“AND”] [“M'CYCLES”] “USE” and a route number or “BUS LANE” or “HARD SHOULDER”;

(c) [“ALL TRAFFIC”] [“CARS”] [“CARAVANS”] [“HGV'S”] [“HIGH SIDED VEHS”] [“AND”] [“M'CYCLES”] “FOLLOW” and a symbol shown in Part VII of Schedule 13 or a place name;

(d) [“ALL TRAFFIC”] [“CARS”] [“CARAVANS”] [“HGV'S”] [“HIGH SIDED VEHS”] [“AND”] [“M'CYCLES”] and “LEAVE AT NEXT JCT”, “LEAVE AT” and a junction name or number;

(e) “[ALTERNATIVE ROUTE] FOLLOW” and a symbol shown in Part VII of Schedule 13 or a place name;

(f) “[ALTERNATIVE ROUTE] USE” and a route number;

(g) “AT” and a place name, the name of a bridge or tunnel, “BRIDGE” or “TUNNEL”, or a junction name or number, or “NEXT JCT”;

(h) “AVOID LANE CHANGES”;

(i) “DO NOT USE HARD SHOULDER”;

(j) “FOR” and a place name “USE” and a route number;

(k) “FOR” and a place name “FOLLOW” and a symbol shown in Part VII of Schedule 13 or another place name;

(l) “HGV'S LEAVE MOTORWAY”;

(m) “LEAVE AT NEXT JCT”;

(n) “LEAVE AT” and a junction name or number;

(o) “REJOIN MAIN CARRIAGEWAY”;

(p) “SLOW”;

(q) “SLOW DOWN”.

(3) In the legends specified in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of sub-paragraph (2), one or more of the words in square brackets may be included as appropriate.

(4) In the legends specified in paragraphs (e) and (f) of sub-paragraph (2) anything in square brackets may be omitted.

(5) In the legends specified in paragraphs (b) and (i) of sub-paragraph (2) “HARDSHOULDER” may be substituted for “HARD SHOULDER”.

PART VI OTHER LEGENDS

6.—(1) The following legends may also be displayed on a variable message sign—

(a) “SIGNAL[S] UNDER TEST”;

(b) “SIGNAL TESTS FOR” and a number of “MILES”;

(c) “SIGNAL TESTS ON SLIP ROAD”;

(d) “SIGN[S] UNDER TEST”;

(e) “END OF SIGNAL TESTS”;

(f) “END OF SIGN TESTS”.

(2) The legends specified in paragraphs (a) to (d) of sub-paragraph (1) may be displayed with a pattern which has no particular meaning but which is designed to test the functioning of the variable message sign on which it is displayed.

(3) In the legends specified in paragraphs (a) and (d) of sub-paragraph (1) the letter shown in square brackets may be omitted.