Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the M1 Motorway (Junctions 16 to 19) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2016 and come into force on 29th April 2016.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations-

"the 1982 Regulations" means the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982(2);

"the 2002 Regulations" means the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002(3);

"carriageway", "hard shoulder", "motorway" and "verge" have the same meaning as in the 1982 Regulations.

Variable speed limits

3.-(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 along it if-

(a)the road is specified in the Schedule;

(b)the vehicle has passed a speed limit sign; and

(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.

(3) In relation to a vehicle, the speed limit indicated by a speed limit sign is the speed shown at the time the vehicle passes the sign, or, if higher, the speed limit shown by the sign ten seconds before the vehicle passed the sign.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation a speed limit sign is to be taken as not indicating any speed limit if, ten seconds before the vehicle passed it, the sign had indicated no speed limit or that the national speed limit was in force.

(5) In this regulation-

"national speed limit" has the meaning given by regulation 5(2) of the 2002 Regulations and a traffic sign which indicates that the national speed limit is in force means a traffic sign of the type shown in diagram 671 in Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations which is-

"road" includes the adjacent hard shoulder and verge;

"speed limit sign", in relation to a vehicle, means a traffic sign of the type shown in diagram 670 in Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations which is-

Regulation 3(2)(a)

SCHEDULESPECIFIED ROADS

1.  The specified roads are-

(a)that length of the northbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point which is 162 metres south east of the southern edge of Northampton-Weedon Road bridge carrying the A45 over the M1 at junction 16 and ending at a point which is 6 metres south east of the centre of the most northerly column located in the M1 central reserve of the Catthorpe Viaduct Replacement carrying the link road between the M6 southbound and the M1 at junction 19;

(b)the northbound slip roads of the M1;

(c)that length of the southbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point which is 379 metres south of the southern edge of Shawell Walcote Road bridge over Lutterworth Road and ending at a point which is 152 metres south east of the southern edge of Northampton-Weedon Road bridge carrying the A45 over the M1 at junction 16;

(d)the southbound slip roads of the M1; and

(e)the northbound linking carriageways and the southbound linking carriageways.

2.  Any reference in this Schedule to-

(a)the letter "M" followed by a number is a reference to the motorway known by that name;

(b)the letter "A" followed by a number is a reference to the road known by that name; and

(c)a junction followed by a number is a reference to the junction of the M1 of that number.

3.  In this Schedule-

"linking carriageway" is a reference to a carriageway (or specified length of the carriageway) linking a part of the M1 to another motorway.

"A slip road" means a road for entering the M1 northbound carriageway at junction 16;

"B slip road" means a road for exiting the M1 southbound carriageway at junction 16;

"C slip road" means a road for exiting the M1 northbound carriageway at Watford Gap Services;

"D slip road" means a road for entering the M1 northbound carriageway at Watford Gap Services;

"E slip road" means a road for exiting the M1 southbound carriageway at Watford Gap Services;

"F slip road" means a road for entering the M1 southbound carriageway at Watford Gap Services;

"G link road" means a linking carriageway for exiting the M1 northbound carriageway at junction 17 and entering the M45 westbound carriageway;

"H link road" means a linking carriageway for exiting the M45 eastbound carriageway and entering the M1 southbound carriageway at junction 17;

"I slip road" means a road for exiting the M1 northbound carriageway at junction 18;

"J slip road" means a road for entering the M1 northbound carriageway at junction 18;

"K slip road" means a road for exiting the M1 southbound carriageway at junction 18;

"L slip road" means a road for entering the M1 southbound carriageway at junction 18;

"M link road" means a linking carriageway for exiting the M1 northbound carriageway at junction 19 and entering the M6 northbound carriageway;

"N link road" means a linking carriageway for exiting the M6 southbound carriageway and entering the M1 southbound carriageway at junction 19; and

"O slip road" means a road for exiting the M1 southbound carriageway at junction 19;

"northbound slip roads" is a reference to the lengths of road specified in paragraph 4;

"southbound slip roads" is a reference to the lengths of road specified in paragraph 5;

"northbound linking carriageways" is a reference to the lengths of road specified in paragraph 6;

"southbound linking carriageways" is a reference to the lengths of road specified in paragraph 7;

"zone sign" means a sign authorised by the Secretary of State under section 64 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984(4) for the purposes of indicating that vehicles are entering, have entered or are exiting a specified road.

4.  The northbound slip roads are-

(a)at junction 16 of the M1 the A slip road commencing at the zone sign and ending where it merges with the M1 northbound;

(b)at the Watford Gap Services of the M1 the C slip road commencing where it diverges from the M1 northbound and ending at the zone sign;

(c)at the Watford Gap Services of the M1 the D slip road commencing at the zone sign and ending where it merges with the M1 northbound;

(d)at junction 18 of the M1 the I slip road commencing where it diverges from the M1 northbound and ending at the zone sign; and

(e)at junction 18 of the M1 the J slip road commencing at the zone sign and ending where it merges with the M1 northbound.

5.  The southbound slip roads are-

(a)at junction 16 of the M1 the B slip road commencing where it diverges from the M1 southbound and ending at the zone sign;

(b)at the Watford Gap Services of the M1 the E slip road commencing where it diverges from the M1 southbound and ending at the zone sign;

(c)at the Watford Gap Services of the M1 the F slip road commencing at the zone sign and ending where it merges with the M1 southbound;

(d)at junction 18 of the M1 the K slip road commencing at the diverge from the M1 southbound and ending at the zone sign;

(e)at junction 18 of the M1 the L slip road commencing at the zone sign and ending where it merges with the M1 southbound; and

(f)at junction 19 of the M1 the O slip road to the A14 commencing at the diverge from the M1 southbound and ending at the zone sign.

6.  The northbound linking carriageways are-

(a)the G link road connecting the M1 to the M45 at junction 17 of the M1, commencing where it diverges from the M1 northbound and ending at the zone sign; and

(b)the M link road connecting the M1 to the M6 at junction 19 of the M1, commencing where it diverges from the M1 northbound and ending at the zone sign.

7.  The southbound linking carriageways are-

(a)the H link road connecting the M45 to the M1 at junction 17 of the M1, commencing at the zone sign and ending at the merge with the M1 southbound; and

(b)the N link road connecting the M6 to the M1 at junction 19 of the M1, commencing at the zone sign and ending at the merge with the M1 southbound.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations introduce variable speed limits to the M1 Motorway from junctions 16 to 19 and on associated slip roads and linking carriageways.

Regulation 3 provides for variable speed limits to have effect on the roads specified in the Schedule. Where variable speed limit signs are in operation a vehicle may not be driven at a speed above the maximum indicated by each speed limit sign passed by the vehicle until it passes a sign indicating that the national speed limit applies or the vehicle leaves the roads covered by the regulation. Where a speed limit changes less than 10 seconds before a vehicle passes the sign and the sign had indicated a higher speed limit, the regulation allows the driver to proceed at a speed up to the maximum applicable before the change. Where the speed limit sign indicates a speed limit when it is passed by a vehicle but less than 10 seconds previously it was either giving no indication of a speed limit or that the national speed limit applied, the sign is to be taken as giving no indication of a speed limit to the vehicle passing it.

Contravention of the Regulations is an offence under section 17(4) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

An impact assessment has not been prepared for these Regulations as no impact on the costs of business or the voluntary sector is foreseen. An Explanatory Memorandum is published alongside these Regulations at www.legislation.gov.uk.