The Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations and General Directions 2005

PART 1 THE TRAFFIC SIGNS (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2005

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations—

(a) may be cited as the Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations 2005;

(b) together with the General Directions contained in Part 2 of this Instrument, may be cited as the Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations and General Directions 2005; and

(c) shall come into force on 27th July 2005.

Preliminary

2.  The Traffic Signs Regulations 2002(1) (in these Regulations called “the Principal Regulations”) shall be amended as follows.

Interpretation of the Principal Regulations

3.  In regulation 4—

(a) after the definition of “goods vehicle” there shall be inserted—

““hard shoulder”, in relation to a motorway in England or Wales, has the meaning given by regulation 3(1)(e) of the Motorways (England and Wales) Regulations and, in relation to a motorway in Scotland, regulation 2(1) of the Motorways (Scotland) Regulations and “actively managed hard shoulder” means a hard shoulder along which, by virtue of regulations under section 17(2) and (3) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984(2), vehicular traffic may be driven at times for the time being indicated by traffic signs in accordance with those regulations;”; and

(b) after the definition of “motorway” there shall be inserted—

““Motorways (England and Wales) Regulations” means the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982(3) and “Motorways (Scotland) Regulations” means the Motorways Traffic (Scotland) Regulations 1995(4);”.

Illumination of road markings

4.  In regulation 31(7) for sub-paragraph (a) there shall be substituted—

“(a) red light—

(i) when placed in conjunction with the marking shown in diagram 1041, 1041.1, 1042 or 1042.1 to indicate the off side (as viewed in the direction of travel) edge of the carriageway of any road;

(ii) when placed in conjunction with a road marking to indicate the near side (as viewed in the direction of travel) edge of the carriageway of any road, except a motorway alongside which there is an actively managed hard shoulder; or

(iii) when placed in conjunction with the marking shown in diagram 1012.1 to indicate the boundary between the carriageway of a motorway and an actively managed hard shoulder;”.

Significance of light signals prescribed by regulation 37(1)

5.  The following regulation shall be substituted for regulation 38—

“38.— (1) The significance of the light signals prescribed by regulation 37(1) shall be as follows.

(2) The signals shown in diagram 6032.1 shall convey the prohibition that vehicular traffic (other than vehicles being used in the circumstances described in regulation 36(1)(b)) on the carriageway beside which the signals are mounted shall not proceed beyond the signals.

(3) When displayed over the carriageway of a road, the signals shown in diagram 6031.1 shall convey the prohibition that vehicular traffic (other than vehicles being used in the circumstances described in regulation 36(1)(b)) proceeding in the traffic lane immediately below the signals shall not proceed beyond them in that lane.

(4) When displayed over an actively managed hard shoulder, the signals shown in diagram 6031.1 shall convey the prohibition that vehicular traffic (other than vehicles being used in the circumstances described in regulation 36(1)(b)) shall not enter the hard shoulder beyond the signals for any purpose.”

Light signals for lane control of vehicular traffic

6.—(1) Regulation 44(4) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In sub-paragraph (a) before “the red cross” there shall be inserted “except when placed above an actively managed hard shoulder,”.

(3) After sub-paragraph (a) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph—

“(aa) when placed over an actively managed hard shoulder the red cross shall convey to vehicular traffic that the restrictions on the use of the hard shoulder imposed by regulation 9 of the Motorways (England and Wales) Regulations or regulation 8 of the Motorways (Scotland) Regulations for the time being apply to the hard shoulder, until those restrictions are—

(i) cancelled by the display over the actively managed hard shoulder of the sign shown in diagram 670 by means of a variable message sign; or

(ii) superseded by the display over the actively managed hard shoulder of the sign shown in diagram 6031.1;”.

Matrix signs for motorways and all purpose dual carriageway roads

7.  In regulation 46(5)—

(a) after “a traffic lane of the carriageway” there shall be inserted “or an actively managed hard shoulder”; and

(b) after “the traffic lane” there shall be inserted “or actively managed hard shoulder”.

Variable message signs

8.—(1) Regulation 58 shall be amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph (4) after “symbol” there shall be inserted “displayed”.

(3) After paragraph (6) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“(6A) Where a variable message sign displays the sign shown in diagram 670 by means of light emitting characters and symbols, the diameter of the sign may be varied to 1,300 millimetres.”

Amendment of Schedules

9.—(1) The diagram shown in Part 1 of the Schedule to these Regulations shall be substituted for diagram 670 in Schedule 2 to the Principal Regulations.

(2) The diagrams shown in Part 2 of the Schedule to these Regulations shall be substituted for diagrams 1010, 1012.1, 1012.2 and 1012.3 in Schedule 6 to the Principal Regulations.

(3) The diagram shown in Part 3 of the Schedule to these Regulations shall be substituted for diagrams 5003 and 5003.1 in Part I of Schedule 10 to the Principal Regulations.

(4) The diagram shown in Part 4 of the Schedule to these Regulations shall be substituted for diagram 6002 in Part I of Schedule 11 to the Principal Regulations.

(5) The diagrams shown in Part 5 of the Schedule to these Regulations shall be substituted for diagrams 6031.1 and 6032.2 in Part II of Schedule 11 to the Principal Regulations.

(1)

Part I of S.I. 2002/3113, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

(2)

Section 17(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 was amended by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c. 22) Schedule 8, paragraph 28(3) and by the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40) Schedule 4, paragraph 25 and Schedule 8.

(3)

S.I. 1982/1163, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

(4)

S.I. 1995/2507, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.