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Same aim, differnt signage. The A45 Nene Valley way round the south of Northampton has circular prohibitive signs barring vehicles not able to maintain 25mph.
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I haven't seen any others on my travels, but I'm well aware of both sets mentioned above. You'll only find these on non motorways (the Dartford Tunnel is the A282 not the M25), because by definition all slow traffic is prohibited from motorways.
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I think the true reason that the Dartford Tunnel is the A 282 is because one has to stop to pay the toll and this action is not permitted on motorways. Slow traffic isn't banned from motorways, it is just a nuisance when it IS on it ie Plod escorting giant loads from A to B etc!
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>>Slow traffic isn't banned from motorways....
We really need DVD here but there IS a regulation which says that if a vehicle cannot maintain a minimum speed of X (20ish?)
then it must have a police escort.
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A slow moving vehicle does require a police escort although why this particular activity couldn't be done by one or other of the motoring organisations, thereby free plod for more pertinent task of catching speeding drivers, sorry I meant REAL criminals, I don't know.
Lancashire motorway police pulled a slow moving wagon on the M6 at Preston because it couldn't go faster than 19 mph up the incline. The cops tried to tell the driver he had an illegal load due to the length and that his speed wasn't "good enough" for the motorway.
He successfully proved the plods wrong regarding the length of his load but he is now required to have an escort due to his vehicle being slow moving.
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FiF - hope this helps:
Under Reg 3 Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regs 1982 'excluded traffic' means traffic which is not traffic of classes I or II.- defined under Sec 16,17 and Shed 4 Highways Act 1980-not available to me but from 1959 Highways Act:-
Class 1: Heavy and light locos, heavy motor cars, motor cars and motor cycles engine capacity not less than 50 cc and which comply with Con & Use Regs.
Class II: Motor vehicles and trailers authorised to carry abnormal indivisable loads (24hrs notice required to Chief of police before movement), certain motor vehicles and trailers constructed for the purposes of the armed Forces or defence purposes,AND
motor vehicle/trailers authorised as Special Types and which are capable of attaining a speed of 25 mph on the level, unladen and when not drawing a trailer. This is the only reference to the MINIMUM speed of any vehicle on a motor way I can come up with - other than anywhere the Sec of State has made a minimum speed order for which he has the power to do.
Reg 11 prohibits learner Drivers (except HGV/Passenger carrying vehicles - they will already hold Class 1 ordinary Licence).
Pedestrians, Invalid carriages, Tractors, pedal cyclists and animals etc presumably are other classes defined under Schedule 4.
Just as a point of interest a Supt of Police, in an emergency, can authorise anything to use a Motorway (i.e. when a alerternative route is grid locked through accident etc).
Regarding wide loads OTTOMYH anything over 7ft 6ins wide or overhang exceeding 12 ins, notification has to be given to Highways and Police Authority 48 hrs in advance of movement.
In relation to the Special Types (over 14ft) D of T authorise under a VR1 (IIRC).
Unless things have changed drastically then there is no requirement under the Law for Police to escort abnormal loads.
They do so in the interests of road safety acting as a warning to prevent accidents and are mainly involved in anything over 12 ft wide (width of a normal lane Trunk Road).Further Police required becaus of their powers to stop etc.
DVD
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Thanks DVD,
The quote "capable of attaining a speed of 25 mph on the level" is the one I'm thinking of.
The outfit Watcher refers to, IIRC, was a vintage showmans's set up with ancient and slow tractor unit towing a drawbar trailer (steam organ?") which itself was towing a close coupled second trailer.
The driver was correct and Lancs Police wrong in that there are dispensations for showman's vehicles, however they were right to stop him as he was damned dangerous at ~17/20mph on the M6 plus wavering about all over the place.
And as for allowing contractors to escort large loads? Might I suggest the following scenario.
Firstly too many drivers will ignore them as they probably wouldn't have the same rights to stop etc as old bill.
Then they would be given extra powers.
Then we'd see the overenthusiastic application of those powers in the name of profit. eg clamping operators. :-(
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You'll only find these onnon motorways (the Dartford Tunnel is the A282 not the M25), because by definition all slow traffic is prohibited from motorways.
How slow is slow? How is it defined?
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