PART IIPrincipal Road Safety Provisions
Traffic directions and traffic signs
F1Contravention of traffic signsF2C150
1
If a person, without reasonable excuse, contravenes an indication given by a traffic sign which is—
a
of the prescribed size, colour and type, or
b
of another character authorised by the Department under Article 28 of the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997,
and which has been lawfully placed on or near a road, except where that indication is at variance with an indication given by a constable in uniform, he is guilty of an offence.
2
A traffic sign shall not be treated for the purposes of this Article as having been lawfully placed unless either—
a
the indication given by the sign is an indication of a statutory prohibition, restriction or requirement, or
b
it is expressly provided by or under any provision of the Road Traffic Orders that this Article shall apply to the sign or to signs of a type of which the sign is one;
and, where the indication mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) is of the general nature only of the prohibition, restriction or requirement to which the sign relates, a person shall not be convicted of failure to comply with the indication unless he has failed to comply with the prohibition, restriction or requirement to which the sign relates.
3
For the purposes of this Article a traffic sign placed on or near a road shall be deemed—
a
to be of the prescribed size, colour and type, or of another character authorised by the Department under Article 28 of the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, and
b
(subject to paragraph (2)) to have been lawfully so placed,
unless the contrary is proved.
4
Where a traffic survey of any description is carried out on or in the vicinity of a road, this Article applies to a traffic sign by which a direction (as defined in Article 49(4)) is given for the purposes of the survey.
5
The Department may make regulations specifying any traffic sign for the purposes of column (5) of the entry in Schedule 1 to the Offenders Order relating to offences under this Article (offences committed by contravention of certain traffic signs involve discretionary disqualification).