General Bye-Laws For the Control of Traffic 1937

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 222/1937
• Year: 1937

STATUTORY RULES AND ORDERS. 1937. No. 222.
GENERAL BYE-LAWS FOR THE CONTROL OF TRAFFIC, 1937.
ARRANGEMENT OF BYE-LAWS.
PART I.
PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL.
Bye-law.
1. Short Title.
2. Interpretation.
3. Definitions.
PART II.
CONDUCT OF TRAFFIC ON ROADS.
4. General rules for driving vehicles on roadways.
5. Vehicle overtaking another vehicle.
6. Turning and crossing at road junctions.
7. Stopping of vehicles.
8. Turning a vehicle in a roadway.
9. The right of way.
PART III.
SIGNALS IN RELATION TO TRAFFIC ON ROADS.
10. Signals by drivers and other persons in charge of traffic.
11. Traffic control signals by Gardaí.
12. Traffic control signals given mechanically.
PART IV.
MISCELLANEOUS.
13. Application of these bye-laws to animals.
14. Mechanically propelled vehicles meeting or overtaking animals.
15. Mechanically propelled vehicles overtaking or meeting horses.
16. Crossing of roadway by pedestrians.
17. Use of footways by vehicles and animals.
18. Driving vehicles and riding horses abreast.
19. Riding of bicycles in groups.
20. Persons waiting for public transport.
21. Obligation to comply with authorised signs.
22. Saving for general obligation to exercise care.
23. Saving for special bye-laws.
S.I. No. 222 of 1937.
GENERAL BYE-LAWS FOR THE CONTROL OF TRAFFIC, 1937.
WHEREAS by subsection (1) of Section 147 of the Road Traffic Act, 1933 (No. 11 of 1933), it is enacted that the Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána may, with the consent of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, make bye-laws for the general regulation and control of traffic, including all or any of the purposes specified in that sub-section :
NOW I, EAMON BROY, Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sub-section (1) of Section 147 of the Road Traffic Act, 1933 (No. 11 of 1933), and of every and any other power me in this behalf enabling, hereby, with the consent of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health testified by his official seal affixed to these bye-laws, make the following bye-laws, that is to say :—
PART I.
PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL.
	1 Short title	1. These bye-laws may be cited as the General Bye-laws for the Control of Traffic, 1937.
	2 Interpretation	2. The Interpretation Act, 1923 (No. 46 of 1923), applies to the interpretation of these bye-laws in like manner as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of the Oireachtas.
	3 Definitions	3.—(1) In these bye-laws—
the expression " the Act " means the Road Traffic Act, 1933 (No. 11 of 1933),
the word " driving " when used in relation to a vehicle includes managing and controlling, and the word " driver " and other cognate words shall be construed accordingly,
the word " tramcar " means a vehicle as defined in the Act which is constructed or adapted for use on permanent rails laid wholly or mainly on roads,
the word " vehicle " has the same meaning as it has in the Act, save that it does not include a tramcar,
the expression " slow vehicle " means a vehicle which is, by virtue of the next following paragraph of this bye-law, a slow vehicle for the purposes of these bye-laws,
the word " animal " does not include a dog or a cat,the word " traffic " includes vehicles, animals, and tramcars, but does not include pedestrians,
the expression " private property " includes all land adjoining a road and not forming part of such road,
the expression " one-way roadway " means a roadway the traffic on which is for the time being required by order, regulation, rule, or bye-law having the force of law to proceed in one direction only,
the expression " controlled road junction " means a road junction at which the traffic is for the time being controlled by a member of the Gárda Síochána or by signals given mechanically by apparatus erected under the authority of the Act and these bye-laws,
the expression " uncontrolled road junction " means a road junction which is not a controlled road junction,
the expression " pedestrian crossing " means any portion of a roadway at a road junction which is indicated by authorised signs on the surface of such roadway as the portion of such roadway available for use by pedestrians crossing such roadway,
the expression " authorised sign " means any notice, mark, or other sign for the guidance of traffic or pedestrians which is lawfully placed at the side or on the surface of a roadway by the council charged with the maintenance of such roadway,
references to the right side, the left side, the right, the left, or the rear of any person or any vehicle, tramcar, or other traffic or to the right side or the left side of a road in relation to any person or traffic shall be construed with reference to the direction in which such person or traffic is moving or, if such person or traffic is stationary, the direction in which such person or traffic is facing.
(2) For the purposes of these bye-laws each of the following things, and no other thing, shall be a slow vehicle, that is to say :—
(a) on any road, a vehicle propelled or drawn otherwise than by mechanical means, and
(b) on a road in respect of which a special speed limit applicable to all mechanically propelled vehicles is in force, a mechanically propelled vehicle to which an ordinary speed limit less by five or more miles per hour than such special speed limit applies, and
(c) on a road in respect of which no special speed limit applicable to all mechanically propelled vehicles is in force, a mechanically propelled vehicle to which a speed limit (whether a special speed limit in force in respect of such road or an ordinary speed limit) not greater than twenty-five miles an hour applies.
(3) Every expression and word used in these bye-laws to which a particular meaning is given by section 3 of the act shall, save as isotherwise provided by the foregoing paragraphs of this bye-law, have in these bye-laws the meaning given to it by the said Section 3.
PART II.
CONDUCT OF TRAFFIC ON ROADS.
	4 General rules for driving vehicles on roadways	4.—(1) Every person driving a slow vehicle on a roadway shall drive such vehicle as near as may be practicable to the left edge of such roadway, save that—
(a) where a slow vehicle on a road on which there are less than four lanes of traffic is passing other traffic either moving in the same direction as such slow vehicle or stationary on the left side of such roadway, such slow vehicle may be driven so much on the rightside of such roadway as may be necessary to pass such traffic, and
(b) a slow vehicle turning out of a roadway into another roadway or into private property or being turned round so as to reverse the direction in which it is facing may be driven on the right side of such roadway to such extent and for such distance as may be necessary for such turning.
(2) Every person driving a vehicle on a roadway shall, when approaching a curve, a road junction, or the summit of a hill or meeting other traffic proceeding in the opposite direction—
(a) where there is an authorised sign consisting of a line along the centre of such roadway, so drive such vehicle that the whole of it is on the left side of such line, and
(b) where there is no such authorised sign and there are four or more lanes of traffic, so drive such vehicle that the whole of it is to the left of the centre of such roadway, and
(c) in every other case, drive such vehicle as close as may be practicable to the left edge of such roadway.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing paragraphs of this bye-law—
(a) in a one-way roadway, a vehicle may be driven on any part of such roadway but slow vehicles shall, so far as may be practicable, be driven on the left side only of such roadway ;
(b) when the left side of the roadway is temporarily obstructed (otherwise than by traffic), a vehicle may be driven on the right side of such roadway to such extent and for such distance (if any) as may be necessary for passing such obstruction ;
(c) where the course indicated by an authorised sign conflicts with this bye-law, the course so indicated shall be followed notwithstanding such conflict.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing paragraphs of this bye-law, a vehicle shall not be so driven on a roadway that any part of such vehicle or of the load thereon projects over a footway adjacent to such roadway.
	5 Vehicle overtaking another vehicle	5.—(1) Whenever a vehicle (in this paragraph referred to as the overtaking vehicle) is passing on a roadway another vehicle (in this paragraph referred to as the overtaken vehicle) proceeding in the same direction as the overtaking vehicle, the following provisions shall apply and have effect, viz.:—
(a) the driver of the overtaking vehicle shall not pass or attempt to pass the overtaken vehicle in such manner or circumstances as to cause inconvenience to the overtaken vehicle or to any other traffic ;
(b) the driver of the overtaking vehicle shall not, for the purpose of passing the overtaken vehicle, drive the overtaking vehicle on the right side of the centre of such roadway or on the right side of the traffic lane appropriate to the overtaking vehicle unless there is clearly visible to such driver a portion on such roadway which—
(i) is available for the overtaking vehicle, and
(ii) is free from approaching traffic and any obstruction, and
(iii) is sufficient in length and width for the safe completion of such passing, due allowance being made for the possibility of approaching traffic suddenly appearing ;
(c) the driver of the overtaking vehicle shall pass the overtaken vehicle on the right side of the overtaken vehicle and shall not close in towards the left until the passing has been completed and such closing in will not cause inconvenience to the driver of the overtaken vehicle ;
(d)...