Unlit signs

The Traffic Signs Regulations 2002 make various requirements on the illumination of traffic signs. This comes in two forms, lighting (internal or external) and reflectorisation, and is specified in Schedule 17 to the Regulations. Here, I'm only concerned with signs that should be lit, but aren't.

Schedule 17 item 1 (normal case)

Item 1 requires certain signs to be lit. For those not marked with asterisks (and not diagrams 645, 7004, or 7005), lighting is required if:

• the sign is permanent,
• it is on a road with a system of street lighting,
• that system has at least three lamps,
• the lamps are less than 183 metres apart,
• the sign is within 50 metres of a lamp, and
• that lamp is lit by electricity.

These conditions are all met by almost all signs in Cambridge.

Signs covered by this case include:

544 (zebra crossing)

• Grange Road (outside St John's College School) [last checked 2010]

544.2 (frail or disabled persons)

• Primrose Street [last checked 2011]
• Rackham Close [last checked 2011]
• Tennis Court Road [last checked 2010]

602 (Give Way)

• Corn Exchange Street [last checked 2011]

606 (turn left/right)

• Bridge Street (opp. Jesus Lane)
• Downing Street (opp. St Tibb's Row) [last checked 2010]
• Jesus Lane (at Bridge Street)
• Peas Hill [last checked 2011]
• Trinity Street (opp. Trinity College) [last checked 2010]
• Trinity Street (opp. Trinity Lane) [last checked 2010]
• Trinity Street (opp. Green Street) [last checked 2010]

609 (turn left/right ahead)

• Downing Street [last checked 2010]
• St Peter's Street

611.1 (mini roundabout)

• Thompson's Lane

613 (no left turn)

• Downing Street [last checked 2010]
• Castle Street [last checked 2010]
• Trumpington Street at Fitzwilliam Street [last checked 2010]

615 (priority to vehicles from opposite direction

• Grange Road (outside no. 102) [last checked 2011]
• Grange Road (outside no. 60) [last checked 2011]
• Magdalene Street [last checked 2010]

616 (no entry)

• All Saints' Passage [last checked 2010]
• Bridge Street
• Fitzwilliam Street [last checked 2010]
• George Street [last checked 2011]
• Green Street [last checked 2010]
• Lion Yard [last checked 2007]
• Market Hill [last checked 2007]
• Mount Pleasant
• Sidney Street
• Trinity Street [last checked 2010]

618.4 (pedestrian zone ends)

• King's Parade [last checked 2010]
• Sidney Street

619 (no motor vehicles)

• Green's Road [last checked 2011]
• Primrose Street [last checked 2011]
• Riverside [last checked 2011]
• St Andrew's Street
• Senate House Hill [last checked 2010]
• Severn Place [last checked 2010]
• Sidney Street (on gate)
• Wheeler Street [last checked 2011]
• Wheeler Street [last checked 2011]

622.1A (environmental weight limit)

• Gilbert Road (south-east end) [last checked 2011]

952 (no buses)

• Trumpington Street

953 Bus cycle and taxi route only

• St Andrew's Street

Schedule 17 item 1 (asterisked signs)

Signs marked with an asterisk in item 1 have some extra conditions before they're required to be lit. These are that they must be either:

• on a dual carriageway,
• on a trunk road,
• on a principal ('A') road, or
• on a road with a speed limit above 40 mph.

Those don't cover many roads in Cambridge, but there are some affected signs.

510 (roundabout)

• Milton Road (near Hurst Park Avenue) [last checked 2011]

545 (children going to or from school or playground)

• Milton Road [last checked 2011]

950 (warning cycles)

• Huntingdon Road

Diagram 652

Diagram 652 (one way traffic) has special rules. In addition to the usual item 1 rules, it's only required to be lit if it's within 50 metres of a junction from which traffic can approach it.

• Green Street
• Round Church Street
• Sidney Street
• St John's Street

Schedule 17 item 3

Item 3 signs are required to be lit in the circumstances listed under item 1, as long as they're also terminal signs.

Schedule 17 item 10

Item 10 covers speed limit signs, and requires them to be lit when placed on a trunk or principal ('A') road within 50 metres of a street lamp lit by electricity. This applies to:

• Huntingdon Road