Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the M1 Motorway (Junctions 23A to 25) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2018 and come into force on 3rd September 2018.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations-

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

"the 2016 Regulations and Directions" means the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016(3); and

"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 Schedule 1 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions 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 Part 2 of Schedule 10 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions which is-

"road" includes the adjacent hard shoulder and verge; and

"speed limit sign" in relation to a vehicle, means a traffic sign of the type shown in diagram 670 in Part 2 of Schedule 10 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions which is-

Regulation 3(2)(a)

SCHEDULETHE SPECIFIED ROADS

1.  The specified roads are-

(a)that length of the northbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at junction 23A at a point which is 171 metres south of the southern edge of the southern A42 bridge and ending at a point which is 24 metres north of the northern point;

(b)that length of the southbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point which is 139 metres north of the northern point and ending at junction 23A at a point which is 174 metres south of the southern edge of the northern A42 bridge;

(c)the carriageways of the slip roads referred to in paragraph 4; and

(d)the linking carriageways referred to in paragraph 5.

2.  Any reference in this Schedule to-

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

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

3.  In this Schedule-

"circulatory interchange" means, at junction 24, the gyratory known as Kegworth Interchange and, at junction 25, the gyratory known as Sandiacre Interchange;

"linking carriageway" means a carriageway (or a specified length of carriageway) linking the M1 with another road other than at a circulatory interchange;

"M1" means the M1 motorway;

"northern A42 bridge" means the bridge carrying the southbound carriageway of the A42 over the M1 from north-west to south-east in the direction of travel;

"northern point" means the northern edge of the northern bridge of the circulatory interchange over the M1 at junction 25;

"nose" means a paved area approximately triangular in shape between a motorway and a linking carriageway or a slip road and which is marked with road markings of a type shown in diagram 1042 in Part 6 of Schedule 9 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions;

"off-slip road" means a slip road intended for the use of traffic exiting the M1;

"on-slip road" means a slip road intended for the use of traffic entering the M1;

"slip road" means a road which connects the M1 with a circulatory interchange;

"southern A42 bridge" means the bridge carrying the southbound carriageway of the A42 over the M1 from north-east to south-west in the direction of traffic; and

"tip of the nose" means the point at the most acute angle of a nose.

4.  The roads to which this paragraph refers are-

(a)at junction 24-

(i)the carriageway of the off-slip road connecting from the northbound carriageway of the M1 to the circulatory interchange beginning at the diverge from the northbound carriageway and ending at a point 261 metres north of the tip of the nose at the diverge;

(ii)the carriageway of the on-slip road connecting from the circulatory interchange to the northbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point 248 metres south of the tip of the nose at the merge with the northbound carriageway and ending at the merge; and

(iii)the carriageway of the on-slip road connecting from the circulatory interchange to the southbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point 253 metres north of the tip of the nose at the merge with the southbound carriageway and ending at the merge; and

(b)at junction 25-

(i)the carriageway of the off-slip road connecting from the northbound carriageway of the M1 to the circulatory interchange beginning at the diverge from the northbound carriageway and ending at a point 373 metres north of the tip of the nose at the diverge; and

(ii)the carriageway of the on-slip road connecting from the circulatory interchange to the southbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point 342 metres north of the tip of the nose at the merge with the southbound carriageway and ending at the merge.

5.  The linking carriageways to which this paragraph refers are-

(a)at junction 23A-

(i)the carriageway from the northbound carriageway of the A42 to the northbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point 432 metres south of the tip of the nose at the merge with the northbound carriageway of the M1 and ending at the merge; and

(ii)the carriageway from the southbound carriageway of the M1 to the southbound carriageway of the A42 beginning at the diverge from the southbound carriageway of the M1 and ending at a point 360 metres south of the tip of the nose at the diverge; and

(b)at junction 24A-

(i)the carriageway from the eastbound carriageway of the A50 to the northbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at a point 203 metres south of the tip of the nose at the merge with the northbound carriageway and ending at the merge; and

(ii)the carriageway from the southbound carriageway of the M1 to the westbound carriageway of the A50 beginning at the diverge from the southbound carriageway and ending at a point 308 metres south of the tip of the nose at the diverge.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations introduce variable speed limits to-

(a)the northbound and the southbound carriageways of the M1 motorway between junctions 23A and 25; and

(b)certain roads for joining and for leaving the motorway at and between those junctions.

Regulation 3 provides for variable speed limits to have effect on the roads specified in paragraph 1 of 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 a 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 ten 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 ten 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 these 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 cost of business or the voluntary sector is foreseen. An Explanatory Memorandum is published alongside the Regulations at www.legislation.gov.uk.