Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the M6 Motorway (Junctions 13 to 15) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2021 and come into force on 24th February 2021.

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 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;

(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; and

(d) no speed restriction is in force by virtue of—

(i) an order or notice under section 14( 4) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984; or

(ii) a traffic sign placed by a traffic officer pursuant to section 7 of the Traffic Management Act 2004( 5).

(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)

SCHEDULE THE SPECIFIED ROADS

1.  The specified roads are—

(a) that length of the northbound carriageway of the M6 beginning at junction 13 at the southern edge of the bridge carrying Ash Flats Lane over the M6 (“the southern edge”) and ending at junction 15 at the eastern edge of the bridge carrying the A53 over the M6 (“the eastern edge”);

(b) that length of the southbound carriageway of the M6 beginning at junction 15 at the eastern edge and ending at junction 13 at the southern edge; and

(c) the roads referred to in paragraph 4.

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 M6 of that number.

3.  In this Schedule—

“off-slip road” means a slip road intended for the use of traffic exiting the M6;

“on-slip road” means a slip road intended for the use of traffic entering the M6;

“slip road” means a road which connects the M6 with another road;

“zone end sign” means a traffic sign of the type shown in diagram 2932 in Part 4 of Schedule 9 to the 2016 Regulations and Directions; and

“zone start sign” means a traffic sign authorised by the Secretary of State under section 64(1)(b)( 6) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of indicating that vehicles are entering a road which is subject to a variable speed limit.

4.  The roads to which this paragraph refers are—

(a) between junctions 13 and 14—

(i) that length of each off-slip road to the roads within the Doxey Maintenance Depot starting at the diverge from the M6 and ending at the zone end sign; and

(ii) that length of each on-slip road from those roads starting at the zone start sign and ending at the merge with the M6;

(b) at junction 14 the off-slip roads to, and the on-slip roads from, the A34 and A5013;

(c) between junctions 14 and 15—

(i) that length of the off-slip road to the roads within Stafford North Motorway Services Area starting at the diverge from the M6 and ending at the zone end sign; and

(ii) that length of the on-slip road from those roads starting at the zone start sign and ending at the merge with the M6;

(d) between junctions 15 and 14—

(i) that length of the off-slip road to the roads within Stafford South Motorway Services Area starting at the diverge from the M6 and ending at the zone end sign; and

(ii) that length of the on-slip road from those roads starting at the zone start sign and ending at the merge with the M6; and

(e) at junction 15 the off-slip roads to, and the on-slip roads from, the A500 and A519.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations introduce variable speed limits to the northbound and southbound carriageways of the M6 motorway between junctions 13 and 15 and to roads which connect with the M6 motorway between those junctions and at junction 15.

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 significant impact on the cost of business or the voluntary sector is foreseen. An Explanatory Memorandum is published alongside the Regulations atwww.legislation.gov.uk.