The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved

2016 No. 362

Road Traffic

The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016

Made 16th March 2016

Laid before Parliament 22th March 2016

Coming into force 22th April 2016

The Secretary of State makes the Regulations in Part 1 of this Instrument in exercise of the powers conferred by—

(a) sections 25, 28(4)1(in relation to England and Wales), 64(1)2, (2), (3) and (5)3and 67(3) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 19844(“the 1984 Act”); and

(b) section 36(5)5of the Road Traffic Act 19886(“the 1988 Act”).

The Secretary of State gives the General Directions in Part 2 of this Instrument in exercise of the powers conferred by section 65(1)7and (1A)8and 85(2)9of the 1984 Act.

In accordance with article 4 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 199910, the Secretary of State has consulted with the Scottish Ministers.

In relation to the Regulations in Part 1 of this Instrument, the Secretary of State has, in accordance with section 134(2) of the 1984 Act and section 195(2) of the 1988 Act, consulted with such representative organisations as he thought fit.

1 THE TRAFFIC SIGNS REGULATIONS 2016

PART 1

THE TRAFFIC SIGNS REGULATIONS 2016

Citation, commencement and extent

This Part of this Instrument—

may be cited—

as the Traffic Signs Regulations 2016, and

together with Part 2, as the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016; and

comes into force on 22nd April 2016.

Subject to paragraph (3), these Regulations extend to the whole of Great Britain.

Provision about the school crossing patrol sign extends only to England and Wales11.

Interpretation

In these Regulations—

“the 1984 Act” means the Road Traffic Regulation Act 198412; and

“the 1988 Act” means the Road Traffic Act 198813.

Schedule 1 contains other definitions.

Prescription of signs

A traffic sign for conveying a warning, information, requirement, restriction or prohibition of a description specified in these Regulations is of a prescribed size, colour and type if it complies with all applicable requirements provided for in these Regulations.

A school crossing patrol sign is a prescribed sign within the meaning of section 28(4) of the 1984 Act if it complies with all applicable requirements as to size, colour and type provided for in these Regulations.

The Parts of a Schedule specified in column 2 of an item in the table contain provisions about signs of the class specified in column 3 of the item.

(1)

Item

(2)

Schedule

(3)

Purpose of nature of signs

1

Schedule 2

Parts 1 to 7

Signs that warn of hazards and signs for bridges and other structures

2

Schedule 3

Parts 1 to 4

Upright signs that indicate regulatory requirements for moving traffic

3

Schedule 4

Parts 1 to 5

Upright signs that control waiting, loading and parking along a road

4

Schedule 5 Parts 1 to 4

Signs that indicate parking places and areas subject to parking controls

5

Schedule 6

Parts 1 and 2

Upright signs for red routes

6

Schedule 7

Parts 1 to 6

Road markings and miscellaneous upright signs that indicate stopping, waiting, loading and parking controls

7

Schedule 8

Parts 1 to 4

Signs indicating the entrance to and the end of, a pedestrian, or pedestrian and cycle, zone, and signs for charging schemes

8

Schedule 9

Parts 1 to 8

Regulatory signs at junctions and miscellaneous regulatory signs

9

Schedule 10

Parts 1 to 3

Signs for speed limits

10

Schedule 11

Parts 1 to 6

Signs that give information, are advisory or guide traffic

11

Schedule 12

Parts 1 to 28

Directional signs

12

Schedule 13

Parts 1 to 11

Signs only for use in temporary situations

13

Schedule 14

Parts 1 to 5

Signs for traffic control by light signals, signs for crossings, and signs for lane control

14

Schedule 15

Parts 1 to 4

Matrix signs and light signals for the control of moving traffic on motorways and dual carriageway roads

15

Schedule 16

Parts 1 to 7

Variable message signs

Where in these Regulations provision is made that to convey a warning, information, requirement, restriction or prohibition of a description specified, a sign must comply with certain requirements as to size, colour and type, that provision is without prejudice to different requirements elsewhere in the Regulations in relation to the same description.

Authorisations

Nothing in these Regulations limits a power of the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers or the Welsh Ministers to authorise a sign under section 28(4) or 64 of the 1984 Act14.

Letters, numerals and other characters

This regulation applies to the letters, numerals and other characters used on signs provided for in these Regulations (but not to the extent that more specific provision is made elsewhere in these Regulations for a particular sign).

Paragraphs (3) to (12) apply to letters, numerals and other characters used on signs except those used on road markings and those used in Scottish Gaelic words or phrases.

Paragraphs (4) to (10) are subject to the exception for variable message signs at paragraphs (11) and (12).

On a background which is—

black;

blue;

brown;

dark green;

green; or

red,

letters, numerals and other characters must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in Part 1 of Schedule 17 (see paragraphs (6) to (8) for exceptions).

On a background which is—

orange;

white; or

yellow,

letters, numerals and other characters must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in Part 2 of Schedule 17 (see paragraph (10) for an exception).

Paragraphs (7) and (8) apply to the placing of a motorway route number or a compass point directly on the blue background shown at item 1 of the sign table at Part 2 of Schedule 12 (see paragraph (9) for an exception).

Where brackets are not used, the letters, numerals and other characters must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in Part 3 of Schedule 17.

Where brackets are used the letters, numerals and other characters must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in either Part 1 or Part 3 of Schedule 17.

An exception to paragraphs (7) and (8) is that where the route number or compass point is part of a legend provided for at item 8 of the sign table in Part 3 of Schedule 12, letters, numerals and other characters must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in Part 1 of Schedule 17.

When used for indicating a route number or compass point on a sign with a yellow background which is temporarily placed on a motorway, letters, numerals and other characters must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in Part 4 of Schedule 17.

Paragraph (12) applies to a variable message sign where the construction or method of operation of the sign does not permit the use of letters, numerals and other characters of the proportions and form shown in Part 1, 2, 3 or 4 of Schedule 17.

Letters, numerals and other characters may have the proportions and form shown in Part 5 of Schedule 17 (and be of the colour provided for in Part 1, 2, 3 or 4 as applicable).

Paragraph (14) applies to letters, numerals and other characters incorporated in road markings provided for in these Regulations.

A letter, numeral or other character of a height referred to in column 1 of the table in this paragraph must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in the Part of Schedule 17 at the column 2 entry applicable to that height.

Height of letters, numerals and other characters

Applicable Part in Schedule 17

from 280 mm to 700 mm (inclusive)

Part 6

705 mm, 1035 mm, 1600 mm

Part 7

2800 mm

Part 8

For the purposes of interpreting Part 7 of Schedule 17 where the road marking is 705 mm or 1035 mm, the reference in the diagram in Part 7 to “1600” is to be read as “705” or “1035” as appropriate and the spaces between the grid lines reduced proportionately.

Letters, numerals and other characters used in Scottish Gaelic words or phrases—

when appearing on a brown or dark green background, must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in Part 9 of Schedule 17;

when appearing on a white background, must have the proportions and form, and be of the colour, shown in Part 10 of Schedule 17.

In Schedule 17, in Parts 1 to 4, 9 and 10, the height of the rectangular backgrounds on which the letters, numerals and other characters are shown is eight stroke widths.

Expressions of time and distance and for parking restrictions

A reference in these Regulations to the inclusion on a sign of a “time period” means the inclusion of a period of time that complies with the requirements of Part 1 of Schedule 18.

More than one period of time may be included in a sign if appropriate for conveying the meaning of the sign.

A reference in these Regulations to the inclusion on a sign of a “permitted parking expression” means the inclusion of an expression that complies with the requirements of Part 2 of Schedule 18.

An expression of distance on a sign must be in imperial units and comply with the requirements of Part 3 of Schedule 18.

The provisions of this regulation do not apply where more specific provision in relation to a particular sign is made elsewhere in these Regulations.

Dimensions and design of signs

This regulation is about the measurements specified in the Schedules for dimensions of signs, and elements of signs, and about overall design of signs provided for in these Regulations.

All measurements specified in a diagram in the Schedules are in millimetres (“mm”) unless stated otherwise or the context requires otherwise.

If more than one measurement is specified for the same dimension, any of those measurements may be used for that dimension.

If minimum and maximum measurements are specified for a dimension, the dimension used must not be less than the minimum or more than the maximum.

Dimensions chosen for each element of a sign must correspond with one another so that the overall shape and proportions of the...

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