Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the M3 Motorway (Junctions 2 to 4a) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2015 and come into force on 8th April 2015.

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 and General Directions 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 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 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 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 Schedule 2 to the 2002 Regulations which is-

"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-

Amendment of Regulations

4.-(1) The M3 and M25 (Thorpe Interchange) (Speed Limit) Regulations 2009(4) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 2 (interpretation), for the definition of "the westbound carriageway", substitute-

""the westbound carriageway" means the westbound carriageway of the M3 Motorway beginning at a point 840 metres before the eastern edge of Lyne Lane Overbridge and ending at a point 505 metres before the eastern edge of Bridge Lane Overbridge.".

Regulation 3(2)(a)

SCHEDULESPECIFIED ROADS

1.  The specified roads are-

(a)that length of the westbound carriageway of the M3 beginning at a point 700 metres after the eastern edge of the bridge carrying Bridge Lane over the M3 and ending at a point 200 metres after the eastern edge of the bridge carrying the A327 over the M3;

(b)the carriageways of the westbound slip roads at junctions 3 and 4, and the westbound off-slip road at junction 4a;

(c)that length of the eastbound carriageway of the M3 beginning at a point 100 metres after the western edge of the bridge carrying the A327 over the M3 and ending at the western edge of the bridge carrying Lyne Lane over the M3;

(d)the carriageways of the eastbound off slip roads at junction 2 ending at the western edge of the bridge carrying Lyne Lane over the M3;

(e)the carriageways of the eastbound slip roads at junction 3 and 4, and the eastbound on-slip road at junction 4a.

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 M3 of that number.

3.  In this Schedule-

"westbound slip roads" is a reference to the lengths of road specified in paragraph 4;

"off-slip road" means a slip road intended for use of traffic exiting the M3;

"on-slip road" means a slip road intended for use of traffic entering the M3; and

"eastbound slip roads" is a reference to the lengths of road specified in paragraph 5.

4.  The westbound slip roads are -

(a)the off-slip road which connects the westbound carriageway of the M3 to the A322 roundabout at junction 3;

(b)the on-slip road which connects at junction 3 the A322 roundabout with the westbound carriageway of the M3;

(c)the off-slip road which connects the westbound carriageway of the M3 to the A331 at junction 4;

(d)the on-slip road which connects at junction 4 the A331 to the westbound carriageway of the M3; and

(e)the off-slip road which connects the westbound carriageway of the M3 to the A327 at junction 4a.

5.  The eastbound slip roads are-

(a)the on-slip road which connects at junction 4a the A327 to the eastbound carriageway of the M3;

(b)the off-slip road which connects the eastbound carriageway of the M3 to the A331 at junction 4;

(c)the on-slip road which connects at junction 4 the A331 to the eastbound carriageway of the M3;

(d)the off-slip road which connects the eastbound carriageway of the M3 to the A322 roundabout at junction 3;

(e)the on-slip road which connects at junction 3 the A322 roundabout to the eastbound carriageway of the M3; and

(f)the off-slip roads to the zone sign which connect the eastbound carriageway of the M3 with the-

(i)M25 Clockwise; and

(ii)M25 Anti Clockwise;

at junction 2.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations introduce variable speed limits to the M3 Motorway from junctions 2 to 4a and on associated slip roads and linking carriageways.

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 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.

Regulation 4 makes a changes to the definition of the westbound carriageway of the M3 in the M3 and M25 (Thorpe Interchange) (Speed Limit) Regulations 2009 which links with the scheme for the M3 at junctions 2 to 4a.

Contravention of these Regulations is an offence under section 17(4) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.