The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994

SECTION 3 WARNING, REGULATORY AND INFORMATORY TRAFFIC SIGNS

Sign shown in diagram 610 and its significance

15.—(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), the requirement conveyed by the sign shown in diagram 610 shall be that vehicular traffic passing the sign must keep to the left of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the left, or to the right of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the right.

(2) On an occasion where a vehicle is being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes and the observance of the requirement specified in paragraph (1) would be likely to hinder the use of that vehicle for one of those purposes then, instead of that requirement, the requirement conveyed by the sign in question shall be that the vehicle shall not proceed beyond that sign in such a manner or at such a time as to be likely to endanger any person.

(3) The requirement specified in paragraph (1) does not apply to a tramcar or trolley vehicle.

Signs shown in diagrams 601.1, 602, 778, 778.1 and 784 and their significance

16.—(1) The requirements conveyed to vehicular traffic on roads by a sign shown in the diagram specified in column (2) of an item in the Table are specified in column (3) of that item.

Table

(1)	(2)	(3)
Item	Diagram number	Requirements
1.	601.1	(a) Every vehicle shall stop before crossing the transverse line shown in diagram 1002.1 or, if that line is not clearly visible, before entering the major road in respect of which the sign shown in diagram 601.1 has been provided; and (b) no vehicle shall cross the transverse line shown in diagram 1002.1 or, if that line is not clearly visible, enter the major road in respect of which the sign shown in diagram 601.1 has been provided, so as to be likely to endanger the driver of or any passenger in any other vehicle or to cause that driver to change the speed or course of his vehicle in order to avoid an accident.
2.	602	No vehicle shall cross the transverse line shown in diagram 1003 nearer to the major road at the side of which that line is placed, or if that line is not clearly visible, enter that major road, so as to be likely to endanger the driver of or any passenger in any other vehicle or to cause that driver to change the speed or course of his vehicle in order to avoid an accident.
3.	602 when placed in combination with 778 or 778.1	No vehicle shall cross the transverse line shown in diagram 1003 nearer to the level crossing at the side of which that line is placed, or if that line is not clearly visible, enter that level crossing, so as to be likely to endanger the driver of or any passenger in any railway vehicle or tramcar or to cause that driver to change the speed of his vehicle in order to avoid an accident.
4.	784	No abnormal transport unit shall proceed onto or over an automatic half-barrier level crossing or an automatic open crossing (R) unless— (a) the driver of the unit has used a telephone provided at or near the crossing for the purpose of obtaining from a person, authorised in that behalf by the railway or tramway authority, permission for the unit to proceed; (b) that permission has been obtained before the unit proceeds; and (c) the unit proceeds in accordance with any terms attached to that permission. Provided that sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) above shall not apply if— (i) on the use by the driver of the telephone placed at or near the crossing he receives an indication for not less than two minutes that the telephone at the other end of the telephone line is being called, but no duly authorised person answers it, or he receives no indication at all due to a fault or malfunction of the telephone; and (ii) the driver then drives the unit on to the crossing with the reasonable expectation of crossing it within times specified in a railway or tramway notice at that telephone as being times between which railway vehicles or tramcars do not normally travel over that crossing.

(2) In this regulation—

“abnormal transport unit” means—

(a)

a motor vehicle or a vehicle combination

(i)

the overall length of which, inclusive of the load (if any) on the vehicle or the combination, exceeds 55 feet; or

(ii)

the overall width of which, inclusive of the load (if any) on the vehicle or the combination, exceeds 9 feet 6 inches; or

(iii)

the maximum gross weight of which exceeds 38 tonnes; or

(b)

a motor vehicle, or a vehicle combination, which in either case is incapable of proceeding, or is unlikely to proceed, over an automatic railway level crossing at a speed exceeding 5 miles per hour;

“driver” in relation to an abnormal transport unit, means where that unit is a single motor vehicle the driver of that vehicle and, where that unit is a vehicle combination, the driver of the only or the foremost motor vehicle forming part of that combination; and

“vehicle combination” means a combination of vehicles made up of one or more motor vehicles and one or more trailers all of which are linked together when travelling.

Permitted variants

17.—(1) Where the circumstances in which a sign shown in a diagram in a Schedule (other than Schedule 6) to these Regulations is to be placed so require or where appropriate in those circumstances, the form of the sign shall or may be varied—

(a) in the manner (if any) allowed or required in item 4 of the untitled table below or beside the diagram; or

(b) in the manner allowed or required in column (3) of an item in Schedule 16, if the diagram is one whose number is given in column (2) of that item.

(2) A symbol in the form of a prescribed sign to which direction 7 of the Traffic Signs General Directions 1994 applies shall not be incorporated in a sign in accordance with item 31 of Schedule 16, except in circumstances where it could be placed as a sign in accordance with that direction.

(3) A symbol incorporated as mentioned in paragraph (2) shall or may be varied in the same manner as the sign which the symbol represents or from which it is derived.

(4) In each of the signs shown in diagrams 780, 780.1 and 780.2 the safe height shown on the sign shall be varied where necessary so that it is between 1 ½ and 2 feet (450 to 600 millimetres) less than the height of the lowest part of the overhead wire, of which the sign gives warning, over the highest part of the surface of the carriageway beneath that wire.

(5) Where a sign shown in a diagram in Schedule 7 indicates a road or a route, and that road or route is temporarily closed, there may be affixed to the sign or to that part of the sign where that road or route is indicated, in order to cancel temporarily the indication, a board coloured red and displaying in white lettering the words “Road temporarily closed” or “Route temporarily closed”.

(6) In this paragraph and paragraphs (7) and (8)—

(a) “combination sign” means a sign shown in diagram 7201, 7210, 7211, 7212, 7213, 7214, 7215, 7216, 7217, 7218, 7220, 7221, 7230, 7231, 7232, 7233, 7234, 7235, 7236, 7237, 7238, 7239 or 7240;

(b) “panel” means a sign shown in diagram 7260, 7261, 7262, 7263, 7264, 7270, 7271, 7272, 7273, 7274 or 7275 when used as part of a combination sign and references to a panel whose number is shown in a Table of combinations are to a sign shown in a diagram having a number so shown;

(c) “permitted combination” means one of the combinations specified in paragraph (8);

(d) “the table” in relation to a combination sign means the Table of combinations appearing below or beside the diagram in which that sign is shown;

(e) “top panel” means a panel shown at the top of a combination sign and “bottom panel” means a panel shown at the bottom of such a sign.

(7) If and only if the top and bottom panels of the sign as varied together constitute a permitted combination, a combination sign may be varied in the following ways—

(a) by substituting for the top panel or, where a top panel is not shown, by adding as a top panel, a panel whose number is shown in item (1) of the table;

(b) by substituting for the bottom panel or, where a bottom panel is not shown by adding as a bottom panel, a panel whose number is shown in item (2) of the table;

(c) if the word “none” appears in item (1) of the table, by omitting the top panel;

(d) if the word “none” appears in item (2) of the table, by omitting the bottom panel.

(8) Each of the following is a permitted combination—

(a) a top panel whose number appears in item (1) of a column in the table and a bottom panel whose number appears in item (2) of the same column;

(b) a top panel whose number appears in item (1) of a column in the table and, if the word “none” appears in item (2) of the same column, no bottom panel;

(c) a bottom panel whose number appears in item (2) of a column in the table and, if the word “none” appears in item (1) of the same column, no top panel;

(d) if the word “none” appears in both items of the same column of the table, no top panel and no bottom panel.

(9) Where the form of a sign is varied in accordance with these Regulations, the information, warning, requirement, restriction, prohibition or speed limit conveyed to traffic by the sign is varied to accord with the form of the sign as varied.

Illumination of signs

18.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), every sign shown in a diagram whose number is indicated in column (2) of an item in Schedule 17 shall be illuminated in the manner and at the times described in column (3) of that item.

(2) Where a sign shown in a diagram whose number is indicated in column (2) of an item in Schedule 17 is placed for the purpose of conveying to vehicular traffic a warning, information, prohibition, restriction or requirement which applies only at certain times, the sign shall be illuminated in accordance with that Schedule only during those times.

(3) Where a sign shown in a diagram whose number is indicated in column (2) of an item in Schedule 17 is illuminated by means of external lighting, then that means of lighting shall be fitted to—

(a) the sign; or

(b) the structure on which the sign is mounted or which is otherwise specially provided,

except that if a sign is mounted on a bridge, tunnel or similar structure over a road the means of lighting may alternatively be mounted separately in a manner such as to illuminate the face of the sign effectively.

19.—(1) Nothing in this regulation shall apply to the signs shown in diagrams 560, 561, 776, 781, 5001.1, 5001.2, 5003, 5003.1, 5005 and 5005.1.

(2) Subject to the provisions of regulation 18 and paragraph (1), any sign shown in a diagram in Schedules 1 to 5, 7, 10 and 12—

(a) when placed as part of a road works scheme must, and

(b) in other situations may,

be illuminated by the use of retroreflecting material in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), where retroreflecting material is used on any part of a sign shown in a diagram, all other parts of that sign shall also be illuminated by means of retroreflecting material.

(4) No retroreflecting material shall be applied to—

(a) any part of a sign coloured black;

(b) that part of the sign shown in diagram 605.2 which is coloured fluorescent yellow, unless the retroreflecting material is applied to that part in horizontal strips with a gap between each strip, or unless the retroreflecting material is itself also fluorescent;

(c) that part of a sign shown in diagram 2714 or 2715 which is coloured orange,

and in this paragraph the word “part”, in relation to a sign, means any part of that sign which is uniformly coloured and bounded by parts of a different colour.

Illumination of plates

20.—(1) Where a plate is placed in combination with a sign shown in a diagram in Schedules 1 to 5 or 12, and that sign is illuminated in accordance with regulation 18, the plate shall, subject to paragraph (2), be illuminated by the same means as the sign.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply where the means of lighting provided for the illumination of the sign adequately illuminates the plate.

Illumination of signs shown in diagrams 560 and 561

21.—(1) The signs shown in diagrams 560 and 561 shall not be illuminated by the fitting of a means of internal or external lighting.

(2) A sign shown in a diagram whose number appears in column (2) of an item in the Table and having the dimension specified in column (3) of that item shall be illuminated by either of the methods prescribed in paragraph (3) which are shown in column (4) of the item, and by no other method.

Table

(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Item	Diagram number	Dimension	Method of illumination
1.	560	150 millimetres diameter	Paragraph 3(a) or (b)
2.	560	75 millimetres or more but less than 150 millimetres diameter	Paragraph 3(c) or (d)
3.	561	180 square centimetres area	Paragraph 3(b) or (e)

(3) The prescribed methods of illumination are—

(a) the use of 14 circular reflectors of the corner cube type, each reflector having a diameter of 22 millimetres;

(b) the use of retroreflecting material extending over the whoe surface of the sign;

(c) the use of a single circular reflector of the corner cube type extending over the whole surface of the sign;

(d) the use of reflectors consisting of bi-convex lenses extending over the whole surface of the sign; and

(e) the use of a single rectangular reflector of the corner cube type extending over the whole surface of the sign.

Buses and coaches

22.—(1) In the signs shown in the permitted variants of diagrams 618.1, 618.2, 618.3, 618.3A, 620 and 820, in diagrams 877, 954, 954.1, 954.2, 954.3, 970, 973, 973.1, 974, 975, 1025, 1025.1, 1025.2 and 1025.3 and in the permitted variant of diagram 1028.2 the expressions “bus”, “buses” and “buses and coaches” have the meanings given in paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) “Buses” in the signs referred to in paragraph (1) means—

(a) before 1st January 1997—

(i) public service vehicles used for the provision of local services or scheduled express services;

(ii) school buses; or

(iii) works buses; and

(b) after 31st December 1996—

(i) motor vehicles constructed or adapted to carry more than 8 passengers (exclusive of the driver); and

(ii) local buses not so constructed or adapted;

and “bus” shall be construed accordingly.

(3) The expression “buses and coaches” referred to in paragraph (1) means until 31st December 1996 vehicles constructed or adapted to carry 12 or more passengers (exclusive of the driver).

Bus lanes

23.—(1) In the sign shown in diagram 962, 962.2, 963, 963.2, 964, 1048 or 1048.1 the expression “bus lane” has the meaning given in paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) Before 1st January 1997 “bus lane” in the signs referred to in paragraph (1) means a traffic lane reserved for—

(a) public service vehicles used in the provision of local services or scheduled express services;

(b) school buses;

(c) works buses; and

(d) pedal cycles and taxis where indicated on the sign shown in diagram 958 or 959 and pedal cycles where indicated on the sign shown in diagram 960, 962.2, 963.2 or 1048.1.

(3) After 31st December 1996 “bus lane” in the signs referred to in paragraph (1) means a traffic lane reserved for—

(a) motor vehicles constructed or adapted to carry more than 8 passengers (exclusive of the driver);

(b) local buses not so constructed or adapted; and

(c) pedal cycles and taxis where indicated on the sign shown in diagram 958 or 959 and pedal cycles where indicated on the sign shown in diagram 960, 962.2, 963.2 or 1048.1.

Bus symbols

24.—(1) Before 1st January 1997 the symbol representing a bus (“the bus symbol”) in the sign or the permitted variant of the sign shown in a diagram whose number is indicated in column (2) of an item in the Table refers to the vehicles indicated in column (3) of that item.

Table

(1)	(2)	(3)
Item	Diagram number	Vehicles
1.	952	All motor vehicles constructed or adapted to carry more than 12 passengers (exclusive of the driver), except— (a) public service vehicles used in the provision of local services; (b) scheduled express services; (c) school buses; or (d) works buses.
2.	953, the permitted variant of 953.1 with the bus symbol, the permitted variants of 958 and 959 without the legend “local”, 960, 962, 962.2, 963, 963.2 and 970	(a) Public service vehicles used in the provision of local services; (b) scheduled express services; (c) school buses; or (d) works buses.
3.	(a) The permitted variants of 640.2A, 665 and 666 with the bus symbol; (b) 969 and 2106; (c) the permitted variants of 958 and 959 with the legend “& coaches” placed on the symbol; and (d) the permitted variants of diagrams 832.3, 832.4, 832.5, 832.6 and 832.7	All motor vehicles constructed or adapted to carry 12 or more passengers (exclusive of the driver).
4.	972	Public service vehicles used in the provision of excursions or tours.

(2) After 31st December 1996 the bus symbol when incorporated into any sign refers to—

(a) motor vehicles constructed or adapted to carry more than 8 passengers (exclusive of the driver); or

(b) local buses not so constructed or adapted.

(3) In the signs shown in diagrams 953, the permitted variant of 953.1, 958, 959 and 960 the word “local” on the bus symbol indicates that the road or the traffic lane on or near which the sign has been placed shall be used only by local buses.