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24 1961

ROAD TRAFFIC ACT, 1961

PART IV.

Speed Limits.

Ordinary speed limits.

44. —(1) The Minister may make regulations prescribing a speed limit in respect of all public roads, or all public roads with such exceptions as may be specified in the regulations, for any class of mechanically propelled vehicles.

(2) Regulations under this section prescribing a speed limit for a class of vehicle may except any sub-class of the class from the speed limit.

(3) In this Act “ordinary speed limit” means a speed limit under regulations under this section.

Built-up area speed limits.

45. —(1) (a) There shall be a speed limit of thirty miles per hour in respect of all public roads in built-up areas for all mechanically propelled vehicles.

(b) The Minister may, with respect to the limit specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection, by regulations—

(i) increase or reduce it,

(ii) restrict it to particular periods of the day and night.

(2) Each of the following roads shall be a public road in a built-up area for the purposes of this section:

(a) a public road which is in a county or other borough, an urban district or a town, other than a road which is declared by the Minister by regulations not to be a public road in a built-up area for those purposes;

(b) a public road which is not in a county or other borough, an urban district or a town and which is declared by the Minister by regulations to be a public road in a built-up area for those purposes.

(3) The Minister may by regulations except any class of mechanically propelled vehicles from the built-up area speed limit.

(4) In this Act “built-up area speed limit” means the speed limit under this section.

Special speed limits.

46. —(1) The Minister may make regulations prescribing in respect of any specified public road or of all public roads in any specified area the speed which shall be the speed limit on such road or roads for mechanically propelled vehicles.

(2) The Minister shall not make regulations under this section save on the application of the Commissioner or on the application of the road authority concerned and shall not revoke or amend any such regulation save after consultation with the Commissioner and such road authority.

(3) Regulations under this section prescribing a speed limit may—

(a) restrict it to any class of mechanically propelled vehicles,

(b) restrict it to specified periods of the day and night or to specified occasions,

(c) except from it any class or sub-class of a class of mechanically propelled vehicles.

(4) In this Act “special speed limit” means a speed limit under regulations under this section.

Offence of exceeding speed limit.

47. —(1) A person shall not drive a mechanically propelled vehicle at a speed exceeding a speed limit applying in relation to the vehicle.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) In this section “speed limit” means a limit which is—

(a) an ordinary speed limit,

(b) the built-up area speed limit, or

(c) a special speed limit.