The Road Humps Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Made: 8th March 1999

Coming into operation: 19th April 1999

The Department of the Environment, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Article 65(4) of the Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993[^f00001] and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, and it appearing to the Department that the Regulations are necessary or expedient in the interests of safety and the free movement of traffic, makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as The Road Humps Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and shall come into operation on 19th April 1999.

• (2) In these Regulations “traffic sign” has the meaning assigned to that term by Article 28 of the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997[^f00002].

Circumstances in which road humps may not be constructed

2

No road hump shall be constructed in any special road.

Nature, dimension and location of road humps

3

• (1) Subject to regulation 6, no road hump shall be constructed or maintained in a road unless—

• (a) each face of it across the carriageway of the road in which it is constructed is at right angles to an imaginary line along the centre of that carriageway;

• (b) it has a minimum length of 900 millimetres measured parallel to an imaginary line along the centre of that carriageway from the point where one face meets the surface of that carriageway to the point where the other face meets the surface of that carriageway;

• (c) the highest point on it is not less than 25 millimetres nor more than 100 millimetres higher than an imaginary line parallel to the centre line of that carriageway connecting the surface of that carriageway on one side of the road hump to the surface of that carriageway on the other side of the road hump and passing vertically below that point; and

• (d) it has no vertical face of any material forming part of that road hump exceeding 6 millimetres measured vertically from top to bottom of that face.

• (2) A road hump may be located within the limits of a zebra crossing 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 required by paragraph 8 of Part II of Schedule 1 to the 2006 Regulations .

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

• (4) A road hump may be located within the limits of a Pelican crossing 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 Part II of Schedule 4 to the 2006 Regulations .

• (5) Save as mentioned in paragraph (4) no road hump shall be located within the limits of a Pelican controlled area or within 30 metres from the imaginary line along the centre of the limits of the crossing mentioned in that paragraph.

• (6) Subject to regulation 6, no road hump shall be constructed or maintained in a road—

• (a) on a railway level crossing or within 20 metres of any rail forming part of the railway track at that crossing;

• (b) within 2 metres of any rail providing support and guidance for vehicles carried on flanged wheels and running in the carriageway of the road otherwise than at a railway level crossing;

• (c) under or within 25 metres of any part of a structure over the carriageway of the road any part of which is 6£5 metres or less above the surface of the carriageway; or

• (d) above or within 25 metres of any part of a bridge over which the carriageway of the road passes or any part of a tunnel, culvert or other similar structure which crosses beneath the carriageway of the road.

• (7) In this regulation—

• “the 2006 Regulations” means The Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006;

• “Pelican controlled area” has the same meaning as in regulation 2 of the 2006 Regulations;

• “Pelican crossing” has the same meaning as in regulation 2 of the 2006 Regulations;

• “zebra controlled area” has the same meaning as “Zebra controlled area” in regulation 2 of the 2006 Regulations;

• “zebra crossing” has the same meaning as “Zebra crossing” in regulation 2 of the 2006 Regulations.

Lighting of road humps

4

Subject to regulation 6, no road hump shall be constructed in any road unless in the road there is lighting for that road hump which is—

• (a) 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 next one to it; or

• (b) a system of street lighting complying with the British Standard for Road Lighting published by the British Standards Institution under number BS 5489 or with an equivalent standard or code of practice published by a national standards body or equivalent body of any member state of the European Community before the coming into operation of these Regulations; or

• (c) a street lamp within 5 metres of the hump; or

• (d) lighting specially provided for the road hump.

Placing of traffic signs

5

Subject to regulation 6, where a road hump is constructed in a road there shall be placed and thereafter maintained appropriate traffic signs as prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997[^f00005] in such positions as the Department may consider requisite to provide adequate warning of the presence of a road hump or a series of road humps to persons using the road.

6

Where a road hump is placed in a road which is subject to a speed limit of 20 miles per hour or less, the provisions of regulations 3(1)(a), 3(6)(c) and (d), 4 and 5 shall not apply.

Revocation

7

The Road Humps Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992[^f00006] and the Road Humps (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996[^f00007] are hereby revoked.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment on

J. Carlisle — Assistant Secretary — 8th March 1999.

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations revoke the Road Humps Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 (“the 1992 Regulations”) and the Road Humps (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and replace them with new provisions. The principal changes are—

• (a) A road hump may now be constructed in any road except a special road. Formerly no humps could be constructed in a trunk road or a road which was not subject to a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less.

• (b) Humps of any height between 25 millimetres and 100 millimetres are permitted. Formerly the minimum height was 50 millimetres.

• (c) The shape of a hump is no longer prescribed, but it must have a minimum length of 900 millimetres. The 1992 Regulations prescribed cross sections and hump dimensions by means of diagrams.

• (d) The positioning of humps is no longer restricted, except in respect of zebra and pelican crossings, railway level crossings, tramways, structures 6£5 metres or less above the carriageway, and bridges, tunnels, culverts or other similar structures over which the carriageway passes, in which cases the former restrictions have been retained.

• (e) The required lighting of the road hump may now conform to BS 5489 published by the British Standards Institution of 389 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 4AL, as an alternative to the three previous requirements of lamps separated by no more than 38 metres or specially provided lighting or a street lamp within 5 metres of the hump, all of which continue to apply.

• (f) Particular traffic signs are no longer prescribed. Appropriate traffic signs are now to be placed in such positions so as to provide adequate warning of the presence of a road hump or a series of road humps to persons using the road.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: S.I. 1993/3160 (N.I. 15); see Article 2(2) for the definition of “the Department”

[^f00002]: S.I. 1997/276 (N.I. 2)

[^f00005]: S.R. 1997 No. 386

[^f00006]: S.R. 1992 No. 132

[^f00007]: S.R. 1996 No. 613

Editorial notes

[^key-3edb8698822532249c19ee9fa6af3eff]: Reg. 1 in operation at 19.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-536d1000b92e1f0dbc62bf4509d73a59]: Reg. 2 in operation at 19.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-7ce7bb3c6b766de8d2bdfbc6ce33edbe]: Reg. 3 in operation at 19.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-259e12b5a60a929519c8a03b1c5b3506]: Reg. 4 in operation at 19.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-c6114b991f7fdd32e2ecc97140356822]: Reg. 5 in operation at 19.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-1ee6daa88514ae9e2d043ec9b4f837ad]: Reg. 6 in operation at 19.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-489bfda9d70ff4106a0bd9f98d26cd4f]: Reg. 7 in operation at 19.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-49368b503311fdd1e532499e573939d5]: Words in reg. 3(2) substituted (20.4.2007) by The Road Humps (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 (S.R. 2007/158), regs. 1, 2(1)

[^key-7af512513c32ec83c6a2c5024b966a2d]: Words in reg. 3(4) substituted (20.4.2007) by The Road Humps (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 (S.R. 2007/158), regs. 1, 2(2)

[^key-610d3f4dd0dd72743b67899a65ae9d56]: Reg. 3(7) substituted (20.4.2007) by The Road Humps (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 (S.R. 2007/158), regs. 1, 2(3)