MOT Regulations relating to Time Trials

(Note: Regulations relating to Bicycle Races are not included herein)

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
1960 No. 250
Road Traffic and Vehicles England & Wales

The Minister of Transport in exercise of his powers under section 13 of the Road Traffic Act, 1956(a)*, and all other powers enabling him on that behalf, and after consultation with representative organisations in accordance with the provisions of sub-sections (2) and section 111 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930(b), as extended by section 51 of, and paragraph 27 of the Eighth Schedule to, the Road Traffic Act, 1956, hereby makes the following regulations:
These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of March, 1960, and may be cited as “The Cycle Racing on Highways Regulations, 1960”
(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:
“time trial”means a race or trial of speed between bicycles or tricycles, not being motor vehicles, so arranged and conducted:
(a)     where the competitors are not divided into groups, that each competitor starts at a time which is separated by an interval of not less than one minute from the starting time of every other competitor, or, where the competitors are divided into groups, that:
(i)     no group comprises more than four competitors;
(ii)     no member of a group competes against any other member of that group;
(iii)     each member of a group starts at the same time as every other member of that group; and
(iv)     each group starts at a time which is separated by an interval of not less than one minute from the starting time of any group; and
(b)     the result of the trial or race depends not upon the order in which the competitors or any of them reach a particular point but upon:
(i)     the time each competitor or, if the competitors are divided into groups as aforesaid, any member of a group takes to get from his starting point to his finishing point; or
(ii)     the distance which each competitor or, as the case may be, any member of a group of competitors covers in a fixed time reckoned from the time when he starts;
“bicycle race” means a race or trial of speed between bicycles or tricycles not being motor vehicles which is not a time trial;
“promoter”, in relation to a time trial or bicycle race, means the person who organises or arranges or is responsible for the organisation or arrangement of the time trial or race;
“appropriate officer of police”, in relation to any time trial or bicycle race, means the Chief Officer of Police for every police area which comprises any public highway on which the trial or race is held.
(2) The Interpretation Act, 1889(a), shall apply for the interpretation of these Regulations as it applies for the interpretation of an Act of Parliament.
    (1) Subject to the following provisions of this Regulation, the holding of a time trial on a public highway is hereby authorised if the promoter of the trial has, not less than 28 days next before the day on which the trial is to be held, or if it is to be held on more than one day, the day on which the trial is to begin, given or caused to be given to the appropriate officer of police in writing notice of the proposal to hold the trial and the following particulars with respect thereto:
(a)     the day or days on which and the time during which the time trial is to be held;
(b)     a description of the route to be followed by the competitors and the name of, or a description sufficient to identify, any public highway on which the trial or any part thereof is to take place;
(c)     particulars of the place or places where the trial is to start or finish;
(d)     the maximum number of competitors who will be permitted to take part in the trial; and
(e)     details of the arrangements which will be made for the purposes of marshalling, assisting or supervising the competitors; and
(f)     such particulars of the rules or arrangements governing the trial as may be sufficient to show that the proposed trial is a time trial.
(2)     The holding of a time trial shall not be treated as being authorised by this Regulation unless the circumstances in which it is held and conducted accord with the particulars given under paragraph (1) of this Regulation.
(1) If in any case where notice of a proposal to hold a time trial has been given in accordance with paragraph (1) of Regulation 3:
(a) particulars with respect to the trial have not been given in accordance with the said paragraph (1); or
(b) changes are proposed in the circumstances affecting the trial which affect the particulars which have been given in accordance with said paragraph (1); the promoter, before the holding of the trial, applies or causes application to be made to the appropriate officer of police for the trial to be authorised and gives or causes to be given to the said appropriate officer in writing, in the case mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph, any particulars which should have been previously given, or, in the case mentioned sub-paragraph (b) particulars of the said changes, the said appropriate officer may, in the case mentioned in sub-paragraph (a), authorise the trial to be held, or in the case mentioned in sub-paragraph (b), authorise the trial to be held with those changes or such of them as he may approve.
(2) The holding of a time trial on a public highway shall not be treated as being authorised under this Regulation unless the circumstances in which it is held and conducted accord with the particulars given in accordance with Regulation 3 or paragraph (1) of this Regulation and, where the trial is authorised with any changes with those changes.
*These powers are renewed by the Road Traffic Act, 1972, section 20.

Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulation but is intended 
to indicate their general purport)
These Regulations provide for the authorisation of the holding of races or trials of speed between bicycles and tricycles, not being motor vehicles, on public highways. The Regulations distinguish between a race or trial of speed being a “time-trial” (as defined by Regulation 2[1]) and any other kind of race or trial (described by Regulation 2(1) as a “bicycle race”) and provide:
(1)     that the holding of a time trial is authorised if notice of the proposal to hold the trial, containing particulars with respect to it, is given to the police (Regulation 3[1]);
(2)     that the holding of a bicycle race is authorised if the circumstances in which it will be held and conducted are such as comply with the conditions specified in Regulation 5(1) (a) and the like notice as aforesaid with respect to the race is given to the police (Regulation 5[1]);
(3)     that in the case of a time trial or such a bicycle race as aforesaid, where particulars with respect to the trial or race have not been given, or where changes are proposed in the circumstances affecting the trial or race which affect the particulars which have been given, the police, if given the particulars or, as the case may be, particulars of the said changes, may authorise the trial or race to be held (Regulation 4[1] and 6[1]).
Note: The Cycle Racing on Highways (Scotland) Regulations 1960 contain the same provisions as
are set out above.