Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 13th April 1990.

Interpretation

2.-(1) In these Regulations-�

"the Act" means the Highways Act 1980;

"principal road" means a highway which is a road for the time being classified as a principal road by virtue of section 12 of the Act (whether as falling within subsection (1), or as being so classified under subsection (3), of that section);

"traffic sign" has the same meaning as in section 64 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984;(2);

"the Traffic Signs Regulations" means the Traffic Signs Regulations 1981(3).

(2) For the purposes of these Regulations road humps in a highway shall be deemed to form part of a series where they are two or more in number and spaced so that not less than 20 metres nor more than 150 metres lies between one hump and the one next to it.

(3) For the purposes of these Regulations measurements to or from any point to or from a road hump shall be taken to or from that edge of the hump, as shown in the Schedule, which is nearest to the point and for the purposes of regulations 4 and 5 and of this paragraph:-�

(a)measurements to or from a horizontal bend shall be taken to or from that part of the bend which is nearest to the hump;

(b)measurements to or from a road junction shall be taken to or from the point nearest the hump on an imaginary line drawn across the mouth of the junction; and

(c)a horizontal bend begins where a motor vehicle would start a change of direction of not less than 70 degrees within a distance of not more than 32 metres and ends where the vehicle would finish that change of direction.

(4) A reference in these Regulations to a traffic sign is a reference to that sign, if used in Wales, with the prefix W as prescribed by the Traffic Signs (Welsh and English Language Provisions) Regulations 1985(4)

(5) A reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation bearing that number in these Regulations and a reference to the Schedule is a reference to the Schedule to these Regulations.

Consultation about road hump proposals

3. Where the Secretary of State or a local highway authority proposes to construct a road hump, he or they shall, as well as consulting the chief officer of police as required by section 90C(1) of the Act, also consult:-�

(a)where the proposal is by a local highway authority other than a London borough council or a metropolitan district council, the district council in whose district the highway is situated;

(b)in all cases, one or more organisations representing persons who use the highway to which the proposal relates, or representing persons who are otherwise likely to be affected by the road hump, unless it appears to the Secretary of State or the local highway authority that there are no such organisations.

Highways and circumstances in which road humps may be constructed

4.-(1) No road hump shall be constructed in any trunk road, special road or principal road.

(2) Save as provided in regulation 7, no road hump shall be constructed in any highway unless the requirements specified in paragraph (3) below are satisfied.

(3) Those requirements are that:-�

(a)in the highway there is either-�

(i)a system of street lighting furnished by at least three lamps lit by electricity and placed so that not more than 38 metres separate any of the lamps from the one next to it, or

(ii)lighting specially provided for the hump; and

(b)at least one of the requirements specified in paragraph (4) below is satisfied.

(4) The requirements referred to in paragraph (3)(b) above are as follows:-�

(a)all vehicular traffic approaching the hump will within 40 metres of the hump either have entered the highway in which the hump is placed through a junction with another highway or have passed through a horizontal bend in which it has changed direction by not less than 70 degrees within a distance of not more than 32 metres;

(b)within 40 metres of the hump there is in the same highway as the hump the closed end of a cul-de-sac;

(c)within 40 metres of the hump there is in the same highway as the hump a traffic sign, addressed to traffic approaching the hump, of the type specified in diagram 616, 617 other than any such sign when used with one of the plates specified in diagram 618, 618.1 (except when varied to read "no vehicles") 619.3, 619.4, 620 or 620.1 in Part II of Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations; or

(d)within 60 metres of the hump there is in the same highway as the hump a traffic sign, addressed to vehicular traffic approaching the hump, of the type specified in diagram 1002.1, 1003, 1003.1 or 1003.3 in Schedule 2 to the Traffic Signs Regulations.

Nature, dimensions, location and spacing of road humps

5.-(1) Save as provided in regulation 7, no road hump shall be constructed or maintained in a highway unless-�

(a)it complies with one of the sets of specifications in the Schedule, so, however, that a measurement shall be deemed to comply if it is

(i)in the case of a vertical measurement no more nor less than 12 millimetres;

(ii)in the case of a horizontal measurement no more than 5 per cent greater or less

than the corresponding measurement shown in the specification;

(b)it is at right angles to an imaginary line along the centre of the carriageway of the highway in which it is constructed; and

(c)where it is constructed or maintained in a carriageway with a gradient of more than 10 per cent., it is not within 20 metres of the top of that part of the carriageway which has that gradient and no more than 70 metres separates any road hump on the gradient from the next one.

(2) A road hump of a type which complies with the specifications shown in drawing No 1 or No 3 in the Schedule may be constructed and maintained in a highway so that an imaginary line along the centre of the hump from one side of the road to the other is in the same position as an imaginary line from one side of the road to the other along the centre of the pattern of black and white stripes specified in paragraph 4(1) of Part I of Schedule 2 to the "Zebra" Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1971(5).

(3) Save as mentioned in paragraph (2) above, no road hump shall be within the limits of a zebra controlled area as defined in regulation 3(1) of the regulations mentioned in that paragraph or within 30 metres from the imaginary line along the centre of the pattern of stripes mentioned in that paragraph.

(4) A road hump which complies with the specifications shown in drawing No 1 or No 3 in the Schedule may be constructed and maintained in a highway so that an imaginary line along the centre of the hump from one side of the road to the other is in the same position as an imaginary line along the centre of the limits of the crossing from one side of the road to the other as shown in a diagram in Schedule 2 to the "Pelican" Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1987(6).

(5) Save as mentioned in paragraph (4) above, no road hump shall be within the limits of a "pelican" crossing as defined in regulation 3(1) of the regulations mentioned in that paragraph or within 30 metres of any part of any such crossing.

(6) No road hump shall be constructed or maintained in a highway:-�

(a)on a railway level crossing or within 20 metres of the nearest rail forming part of the railway track at any such crossing, or within 2 metres of any rail running in the highway otherwise than at any such crossing;

(b)under or within 25 metres of any part of a structure over a carriageway of the highway any part of which is 6.5 metres or less above the surface of the carriageway; or

(c)above or within 25 metres of any part of a bridge, tunnel, culvert or other similar structure over which a carriageway of that highway passes.

Placing of traffic signs

6. Save as provided in regulation 7, where a road hump or series of road humps is constructed in a highway the highway authority for that highway shall cause to be placed and thereafter cause to be maintained:-�

(a)traffic signs of a kind shown in diagram 557.1, in combination with traffic signs of a kind shown in diagram 557.2, 557.3 or 557.4 in Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations, in such positions as the authority may consider requisite for the purpose of providing adequate warning of the presence of a road hump or a series of road humps to persons using the highway;

(b)except in a case specified in sub-paragraph (c) below, on the road hump or, in the case of a series of road humps, on each hump in the series, the traffic sign shown in diagrams 1060 and 1060.1 in Schedule 2 to those regulations or in diagram 1061 and 1061.1 in that Schedule;

(c)in a case where a road hump is placed in a highway in accordance with regulation 5(2) a traffic sign of the kind shown in diagram 544 in Part I of Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations facing traffic approaching the pedestrian crossing together with a traffic sign of the kind shown in diagram 547.5 in that Part;

(d)in a case where a road hump is placed on a highway in accordance with regulation 5(4), a traffic sign of a kind shown in diagram 547.6 in Part I of Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations facing traffic approaching the pedestrian crossing together with a traffic sign of the kind shown in diagram 543 in that Part.

7. Where a road hump is placed in a highway which is subject to a speed limit of 20 miles per hour or less, the provisions of regulations 4(2), 5(1)(b), and (6)(b) and (c) and 6 shall not apply.

Revocation

8. The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1986(7)are hereby revoked.

SCHEDULE

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These regulations revoke the Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1986 and replace them with new provisions.

The principal changes are:-�

(a)Tapered edge round top humps, tapered edge flat topped and full width flat top humps are allowed in addition to round top kerb-to kerb humps.

(b)The give way sign and road markings at junctions and the special give way road markings at mini roundabouts are allowed as speed reducing measures on the approach to humps.

(c)Road humps are allowed on dual carriageways where there is a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less.

(d)Account is taken of the possible introduction of light rail tramway systems so as to prevent humps being close to tracks.

(e)The restriction on placing humps near bus stops is removed.

(f)Humps of any height between 50 millimetres and 100 millimetres are allowed. Formerly only 75 millimetres and 100 millimetres humps were allowed.

(g)There are no restrictions on placing humps at junctions.

(h)Humps are allowed at pelican crossings.

(i)There is no limit on the number of humps in a series.

(j)The rules are simpler for highways subject to a speed limit of 20 miles per hour or less.