Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the M1 Motorway (Junctions 13 to 16) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2020 and come into force on 29th September 2020.

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 M1 beginning at junction 13 at a point 212 metres south-east of the north-western edge of the bridge carrying the A421 over the M1 (“the junction 13 bridge”) and ending at junction 16 at a point 162 metres south-east of the south-eastern edge of the south-eastern bridge of the gyratory carrying the A45 and A4500 over the M1 (“the junction 16 bridge edge”);

(b) that length of the southbound carriageway of the M1 beginning at junction 16 at a point 152 metres south-east of the junction 16 bridge edge and ending at junction 13 at a point 717 metres north-west of the south-eastern edge of the junction 13 bridge; and

(c) the slip 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 M1 of that number.

3. In this Schedule—

“Brogborough Interchange South” means the roundabouts to the north and south of the M1 at junction 13;

“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; and

“slip road” means a road which connects the M1 with another road.

4. The slip roads to which this paragraph refers are—

(a) at junction 13 the off-slip road from the southbound carriageway to Brogborough Interchange South and the on-slip road from Brogborough Interchange South to the northbound carriageway;

(b) at junction 14 the off-slip roads to, and the on-slip roads from, the A509;

(c) between junctions 14 and 15 the off-slip roads to, and the on-slip roads from, the roads within the Newport Pagnell Services area;

(d) at junction 15 the off-slip roads to, and the on slip roads from, the A45, A508 and Saxon Avenue;

(e) at junction 15A the off-slip roads to, and the on-slip roads from, the A43 and the roads within the Northampton Services area; and

(f) at junction 16 the off-slip road from the northbound carriageway to the A45 and A4500 and the on-slip road from those roads to the southbound carriageway.