Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the M1 Motorway (Junctions 6A to 10) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2011 and they come into force on 16th May 2011.

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 2002(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 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 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 purpose 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;

"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)

SCHEDULESPECIFIED ROADS

1. The specified roads are the-

(a)northbound carriageway of the M1 from marker post 33/4 to marker post 50/0;

(b)carriageways of the northbound slip roads;

(c)southbound carriageway of the M1 from marker post 50/0 to marker post 33/3; and

(d)carriageways of the southbound slip roads.

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 (unless the context otherwise requires) a reference to the junction of the M1 of that number.

3. In this Schedule-

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

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

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

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

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

4. The northbound slip roads are as follows-

(a)the linking carriageways which connect the M25 at junction 21A with the M1 at junction 6A; these commence at the exits from the clockwise and anti-clockwise carriageways of the M25 and end at the junction with the northbound carriageway of the M1;

(b)the off-slip road which connects the northbound carriageway of the M1 with the westbound carriageway of the A414 at junction 7;

(c)the on-slip roads which connect the westbound and eastbound carriageways of the A414 at junction 8 with the northbound carriageway of the M1;

(d)the off-slip road which connects the northbound carriageway of the M1 with the A5 at junction 9;

(e)the on-slip road which connects the A5 at junction 9 with the northbound carriageway of the M1;

(f)the off-slip road which connects (via the junction 10 roundabout) the northbound carriageway of the M1 with the eastbound carriageway of the M1 Luton spur road; this commences at the junction of the off-slip road with the northbound carriageway of the M1 and ends at the zone sign on the M1 Luton spur road; and

(g)the westbound carriageway of the M1 Luton spur road which connects (via the junction 10 roundabout) with the on-slip road leading to the northbound carriageway of the M1; this commences at the zone sign on the M1 Luton spur road and ends at the junction of the on-slip road with the northbound carriageway of the M1.

5. The southbound slip roads are as follows-

(a)the off-slip road which connects (both directly and via the junction 10 roundabout) the southbound carriageway of the M1 with the eastbound carriageway of the M1 Luton spur; this commences at the junction of the off-slip road with the southbound carriageway of the M1 and ends at the zone sign on the M1 Luton spur road;

(b)the westbound carriageway of the M1 Luton spur road which connects (both directly and via the junction 10 roundabout) with the on-slip road leading to the southbound carriageway of the M1; this commences at the zone sign on the M1 Luton spur road and ends at the junction of the on-slip road with the southbound carriageway of the M1;

(c)the off-slip road which connects the southbound carriageway of the M1 with the A5 at junction 9;

(d)the on-slip road which connects the A5 at junction 9 with the southbound carriageway of the M1;

(e)the off-slip road which connects the southbound carriageway of the M1 with the westbound and eastbound carriageways of the A414 at junction 8;

(f)the on-slip road which connects the eastbound carriageway of the A414 at junction 7 with the southbound carriageway of the M1; and

(g)the linking carriageway which connects the M1 at junction 6A with the M25 at junction 21A; this commences at the exit from the southbound carriageway of the M1 and ends at the junctions with the clockwise and anti-clockwise carriageways of the M25.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations introduce variable speed limits on the M1 Motorway between junctions 6A and 10, and on the slip roads for entering and exiting at junctions 6A to 10.

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 a 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.

It is an offence to use a special road in contravention of regulations made under section 17(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

A copy of the impact assessment prepared in respect of these Regulations can be obtained from the Highways Agency Major Projects Team, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN. A copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament and is also annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk