The Motor Vehicles (Competitions and Trials) Regulations 1969

• Citation: S.I. 1969/414
• Sections: 12

Section 1

These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st April 1969 and may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Competitions and Trials) Regulations 1969.

Section 2

The Regulations specified in Schedule 1 to these Regulations are hereby revoked.

Section 3

(1) An event which was authorised before the coming into force of these Regulations by the Royal Automobile Club, a chief officer or officers of police, or a chief constable or constables, under such of the Regulations revoked by Regulation 2 of these Regulations as relate thereto, shall be treated, in so far as it is held after the coming into force of these Regulations, as authorised in accordance with these Regulations.

(2) Where an application for the authorisation of an event was made to the Royal Automobile Club, a chief officer or officers of police, or a chief constable or constables before the coming into force of these Regulations, being an event which is proposed to be held after the coming into force of these Regulations, but the event was not authorised before the coming into force of these Regulations, the Royal Automobile Club, chief officer or officers of police, or chief constable or constables may authorise such event in accordance with such of the Regulations revoked by Regulation 2 of these Regulations as relate thereto, as though the same had not been revoked.

(3) Where under the Regulations revoked by Regulation 2 of these Regulations an application for the authorisation of an event could be made to a chief officer or officers of police or a chief constable or constables, but no such application has been made before the coming into force of these Regulations, an application for the authorisation of such an event which is proposed to be held or to begin on or before the 14th June 1969 may be made on or before the 14th April 1969, under such of the Regulations revoked as aforesaid as relate thereto, and the said chief officer or officers of police or chief constable or constables may authorise the event in accordance with such Regulations as aforesaid, as though the same had not been revoked.

(4) Where an application for the authorisation of an event which is proposed to be held after the coming into force of these Regulations was received by the Royal Automobile Club before the coming into force of these Regulations, the fee payable shall be the fee specified in such of the Regulations revoked by Regulation 2 of these Regulations as relate thereto, and Regulation 8 of these Regulations shall not apply in relation to such an event.

(5) An event which is authorised or treated as authorised under this Regulation shall be held in accordance with the conditions applying thereto specified in such of the Regulations revoked by Regulation 2 of these Regulations as relate thereto, subject to any modifications thereof made under those Regulations, and in accordance with any additional conditions imposed under those Regulations, as though the same had not been revoked, and Regulation 9 of these Regulations shall not apply in relation to such an event.

Section 4

(1) In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:—

“ “A” road ” means a road to which has been allocated a route number commencing with the letter “A” by the Minister of Transport in England excluding Monmouthshire, or by the Minister of Transport or the Secretary of State in Scotland, Wales and Monmouthshire ;

“ control point ” means a place other than at the start or finish of an event where the route being followed by the competitors or the times being kept by them are checked ;

“ event ” means a competition or trial (other than a race or trial of speed) involving the use of motor vehicles on a public highway ;

“ motorway ” means a special road which (save as otherwise provided by or under regulations made or having effect as if made under section 13 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967 can only be used by traffic of Class I or II of the classes of traffic set out, as respects England and Wales, in Schedule 4 to the Highways Act 1959,as amended by the Special Roads (Classes of Traffic) Order 1961 and the Special Roads (Classes of Traffic) (England and Wales) Order 1968 , and, as respects Scotland, in Schedule II to the Special Roads Act 1949, as amended by the Special Roads (Classes of Traffic) (Scotland) Order 1964 and the Special Roads (Classes of Traffic) (Scotland) Order 1968 ;

“ night event ” means an event a part or the whole of which is intended to take place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. ;

“ overall average speed on the public highway ” in relation to a vehicle driven by a competitor in an event means the average speed calculated by reference to the interval between the time when the competitor commenced to drive that vehicle on the public highway in the event and the time when he finished so to drive and the total distance travelled on the public highway, but there shall be excluded from such interval any period during which the vehicle driven by the competitor was off the public highway or at a rest halt between such times ;

“ performance test ” means a test in which merit is attached to a competitor's skill in manoeuvring or controlling the vehicle, including maintaining the forward motion of the vehicle in adverse conditions ;

“ problem ” means a problem given to a competitor the setting or solution of which is necessary to enable him or assists him to complete the event, or which he is required by the rules of the event to set or solve , and in this context “ problem ” shall include any instruction given to a competitor to collect information or an object and “ solution ” shall be construed accordingly ;

“ problem solving event ” means an event in which the competitors are required by the rules of the event to travel the route by a fixed time and are given before that time the task of setting or solving a number of set problems,whether the problems are required to be set or solved before or after that time, and in which there is an average of more than one set problem for each three miles of route ;

“ promoter ” means the person who is primarily responsible for the organisation or arrangements of the event ;

“ requirement ” in relation to the rules of an event includes a requirement or an instruction to a competitor in the event compliance with which carries merit in the event or non-compliance with which carries demerit in the event, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly ;

“ rest halt ” means a place specified in the rules of the event as a place where the competitors are required to stop during the course of the event, or may stop during the course of the event without incurring a penalty or demerit in the event, in either case for the purpose of obtaining rest or refreshment ;

“ route ” in relation to an event means a route which the rules of the event require or are likely to cause the competitors taking part in the event to travel ;

“ rules ” in relation to an event includes any instruction given by or on behalf of the promoter of the event to a competitor in the event ;

“ specified event ” means an event, held not more than once each calendar year, specified in Schedule 4 to these Regulations ;

“ standard conditions ” has the meaning assigned to it in Regulation 9(1) of these Regulations ;

“ time limit event ” means an event in which the competitors are required by the rules of the event to travel the route of the event by a fixed time such that they will be caused to maintain an overall average speed on the public highway exceeding 10 miles per hour ;

“ time schedule event ” means an event in which individual competitors or groups of competitors are required by the rules of the event to arrive at or depart from control points at or between specific times or to arrive at the finish of the event at or between specific times .

(2) Any reference in these Regulations to any enactment or instrument shall be construed, unless the context otherwise requires, as a reference to that enactment or instrument as amended, re-enacted or replaced by any subsequent enactment or instrument.

(3) The Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply for the interpretation of these Regulations as it applies for the interpretation of an Act of Parliament, and as if for the purposes of Section 38 of that Act these Regulations were an Act of Parliament and the Regulations revoked by Regulation 2 of these Regulations were Acts of Parliament thereby repealed.

Section 5

Any event of one of the following descriptions, that is to say:—

(a) an event in which the total number of vehicles driven by the competitors does not exceed 12, being an event no part of which takes place within 8 days of any part of any other event in which the total number of vehicles driven by the competitors does not exceed 12 and where either the other event has the same promoter or the promoters of both events are members of the same club in connection with which the events are promoted;

(b) an event in which no merit is attached to completing the event with the lowest mileage and in which, as respects such part of the event as is held on a public highway, there are no performance tests and no route and competitors are not timed or required to visit the same places; except that they may be required to finish at the same place by a specified time;

(c) an event in which, as respects such part of the event as is held on a public highway, merit attaches to a competitor's performance only in relation to good road behaviour and compliance with the Highway Code;

(d) an event in which all the competitors are members of the armed forces of the Crown and which is designed solely for the purposes of their service training;

is hereby authorised.

Section 6

(1) Events not authorised by the last preceding Regulation may be authorised by the Royal Automobile Club in accordance with these Regulations.

(2) An authorisation of an event given by the Royal Automobile Club under paragraph (1) of this Regulation may be varied or revoked by the Royal Automobile Club at any time before the event is held or begins.

Section 7

(1) Applications for authorisation of an event shall be made to the Royal Automobile Club on a form (which may be obtained from the Royal Automobile Club) containing the particulars specified in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

(2) Applications for such authorisation shall be made not less than 2 months before the date on which the event is proposed to be held, or if it is to be held on more than one date, the date on which the event is to begin, and, except in the case of a specified event, shall not be made more than 6 months before such date.

Section 8

(1) It shall be a condition of any authorisation of an event by the Royal Automobile Club that a fee, to be calculated in accordance with the next following paragraph of this Regulation, shall be paid.

(2) The fee referred to in the last preceding paragraph of this Regulation shall be a basic fee of £5 increased by £3 for each 50 miles or part thereof of the length of the route of the event on the public highway.

Section 9

(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this Regulation an event, other than an event authorised by Regulation 5 of these Regulations, shall be held subject to such of the conditions specified in column 1 of Schedule 3 to these Regulations (in these Regulations referred to as “ the standard conditions ” ) as apply to the event in question in accordance with column 2 of that Schedule.

(2) The Royal Automobile Club to the exent specified in column 3 of Schedule 3 to these Regulations shall, subject to the provisions of the next following paragraph, have power to modify the standard conditions, and where this power is exercised in relation to a competition or trial the event shall be held subject to the standard conditions as modified.

(3) The Royal Automobile Club in exercising its power to modify the standard conditions applying to an event shall have regard to the need for securing the safety and preserving amenity for, and minimising the inconvenience suffered by, members of the public.

(4) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this Regulation the Royal Automobile Club shall have, when authorising an event, power to impose such additional conditions as it may think fit for the purpose of securing the safety or preserving amenity for, or minimising the inconvenience suffered by, members of the public.

Section 10

(1) Before authorising an event the Royal Automobile Club shall not less than 6 weeks before the date on which the event is proposed to be held, or, if it is to be held on more than one date, the date on which the event is to begin, notify, in England and Wales the chief officer of police and, in Scotland, the chief constable of any police area in which the route of the event on the public highway lies, whether partially or wholly.

(2) Before authorising an event the route of which lies in whole or in part along a road in England and Wales used as a public path shown on a definitive map prepared by the council of a county or county borough or a joint planning board pursuant to section 32 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 the Royal Automobile Club shall consult with the highway authority for that road.

(3) Before authorising an event the route of which on the public highway lies in whole or in part in an area in England and Wales comprised in a National Park the Royal Automobile Club shall consult with the appropriate planning authority for the area concerned.

(4) In the last preceding paragraph of this Regulation the expression “ appropriate planning authority ” has the meaning assigned to it in section 6(6) of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 .

Section 11

In exercising their discretion to authorise an event the Royal Automobile Club shall have regard to the following considerations—

(a) whether in all the circumstances it is likely that the conditions, subject to which the event if authorised would be required to be held, will be observed,

(b) the extent to which the holding of the event might prejudicially affect the safety, amenity or convenience of members of the public,

(c) the number of and the intervals between the events which have recently been held or are due to be held on or adjacent to the route of the proposed event on the public highway or in the locality where the proposed event is planned to take place, and

(d) the nature and suitability of the route of the proposed event on the public highway and the class or description of vehicles taking part in the event.

Section 12

The length of the route, or any part thereof, of an event and the distance from such route of any point shall for the purposes of these Regulations be calculated by reference to the most recent edition of the one-inch Ordnance Survey Map of the area concerned.