Road user restrictions

Road user restrictions are used where an RCA needs to legally restrict the movement of one or more road user types eg general traffic, heavy vehicles, cycle or pedestrian movements. RCAs have the power to restrict and prohibit various activities, however, a bylaw or council resolution is required in order to enable enforcement.

Some road user restrictions can be used with exemption signs (eg ‘Except authorised vehicles’) to accommodate specific user group needs. Examples of these signs are shown in Table 15‑1.

To find out which exception supplementary sign can be used with which restriction sign check the description of the exception supplementary sign in the first schedule of the TCD Rule. The description details which restriction signs the supplementary can be used with.

Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004

Table 15‑1: Road user restrictions and except authorised vehicle signs

Sign code	Example	Description/use
R3-1 No left turn		Where installed, must be at the point of road on which the RCA has prohibited left turns. No other sign may be attached to an R3-1 sign or its support other than an R3-4 sign, or an R3-12 sign which may be attached to the reverse of the R3-1, or to exempt vehicles such as buses or cycles (R3-5.1, R3-5.2 and R3-5.3). For sign location, see note 3.
R3-2 No right turn		Where installed, must be at the point of road on which the RCA has authorised the prohibition of right turns. No other sign may be attached to an R3-2 sign or its support other than an R3-4 sign, or an R3-12 sign which may be attached to the reverse of the R3-2, or to exempt vehicles such as buses or cycles (R3-5.1, R3-5.2 and R3-5.3). For sign location, see note 4.
R3-3 No U-turn		Where installed, must be at each point where the RCA has prohibited U-turns. Should be installed at intervals along a section of road on which the prohibition applies. The spacings between any two successive signs should not exceed 120 m on each side of the road. For sign location, see note 1.
R3-4 No entry		Subject to formal authorisation by the RCA, R3-4 signs must be installed on a roadway that changes from one way to two-way operation and opposing traffic must be prevented from entering the section of roadway restricted to one-way operation in the wrong direction. No other sign may be attached to the R3-4 sign or its support other than appropriate turn control signs to direct traffic (R3-1, R3-2, R3-8, R3-9, R3-10, or R3-11) or to exempt vehicles such as buses or cycles (R3-5.1, R3-5.2 and R3-5.3). For sign location, see note 5.
R3-5.1 Supplementary – except buses		Should be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign where buses are exempt.
R3-5.2 Supplementary – except cycles		Should be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign where cyclists are exempt.
R3-5.3 Supplementary – except authorised vehicles		Should be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign where authorised vehicles are exempt.
R3-6 Road closed		Subject to formal authorisation by the RCA, R3-6 signs must be: installed at each end of, and at each intermediate intersection with, any section of road that is closed to ordinary vehicular traffic for the purposes of facilitating road works or any other legitimate activity; and augmented with W1-1 and W5-2 signs, and in cases where the detour route is longer than 1–2km and is not easy to follow, with other appropriate guide signs. In some instances, where the closure is intermittent and recurs on a planned regular basis for a lengthy period (eg for major bridge repairs), special directory boards giving the timetable for the closure should be installed at key locations and appropriate media advertising arranged. Suitably delineated barricades should also be provided to effectively block the road at the points of closure. For sign location, see note 2.
R3-7 Wrong way R3-7.1 Wrong way - go back		Should be installed on a motorway off-ramp (or similar high-speed section of one-way road) to warn drivers who may inadvertently enter the offramp at the terminal and attempt to proceed towards fast moving opposing traffic. For sign location, see note 7.
R3-12 One way		R3-12 signs should be installed on a one-way roadway near private accesses at which there are significant turning movements. For sign location, see note 6.
R5-4 Height restriction		Should be installed at the structure abutment or on the approach to the structure or section of road at a location where heavy vehicles can turn around.
R7-2.1 Supplementary ‘Begins’		May be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign.
R7-2.2 Supplementary ‘Ends’		May be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign.
R7-2.3 Supplementary Next [distance]		May be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign. The sign shown is an example of the “NEXT 2 km” form, however, the sign may also contain the message “NEXT ‘[distance]’ m” or “NEXT ‘[distance]’ km” where ‘[distance]’ is a value other than 2.

Sign code

Example

Description/use

R3-1

No left turn

Traffic sign of a black curve arrow pointing left with a red slash prohibition in a red circular border

Where installed, must be at the point of road on which the RCA has prohibited left turns.

No other sign may be attached to an R3-1 sign or its support other than an R3-4 sign, or an R3-12 sign which may be attached to the reverse of the R3-1, or to exempt vehicles such as buses or cycles (R3-5.1, R3-5.2 and R3-5.3).

For sign location, see note 3.

R3-2

No right turn

Traffic sign of a black curve arrow pointing right with a red slash prohibition in a red circular border

Where installed, must be at the point of road on which the RCA has authorised the prohibition of right turns.

No other sign may be attached to an R3-2 sign or its support other than an R3-4 sign, or an R3-12 sign which may be attached to the reverse of the R3-2, or to exempt vehicles such as buses or cycles (R3-5.1, R3-5.2 and R3-5.3).

For sign location, see note 4.

R3-3

No U-turn

Traffic sign of a black curve arrow pointing down with a red slash prohibition in a red circular border

Where installed, must be at each point where the RCA has prohibited U-turns. Should be installed at intervals along a section of road on which the prohibition applies. The spacings between any two successive signs should not exceed 120 m on each side of the road.

For sign location, see note 1.

R3-4

No entry

Subject to formal authorisation by the RCA, R3-4 signs must be installed on a roadway that changes from one way to two-way operation and opposing traffic must be prevented from entering the section of roadway restricted to one-way operation in the wrong direction.

No other sign may be attached to the R3-4 sign or its support other than appropriate turn control signs to direct traffic (R3-1, R3-2, R3-8, R3-9, R3-10, or R3-11) or to exempt vehicles such as buses or cycles (R3-5.1, R3-5.2 and R3-5.3).

For sign location, see note 5.

R3-5.1

Supplementary – except buses

Traffic sign which says except buses and it has a rectangular red border

Should be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign where buses are exempt.

R3-5.2

Supplementary – except cycles

Traffic sign which says except cycles and it has a rectangular red border

Should be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign where cyclists are exempt.

R3-5.3

Supplementary – except authorised vehicles

Traffic sign which says except authorised vehicles and it has a rectangular red border

Should be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign where authorised vehicles are exempt.

R3-6

Road closed

Subject to formal authorisation by the RCA, R3-6 signs must be:

installed at each end of, and at each intermediate intersection with, any section of road that is closed to ordinary vehicular traffic for the purposes of facilitating road works or any other legitimate activity; and
augmented with W1-1 and W5-2 signs, and in cases where the detour route is longer than 1–2km and is not easy to follow, with other appropriate guide signs.

In some instances, where the closure is intermittent and recurs on a planned regular basis for a lengthy period (eg for major bridge repairs), special directory boards giving the timetable for the closure should be installed at key locations and appropriate media advertising arranged.

Suitably delineated barricades should also be provided to effectively block the road at the points of closure.

For sign location, see note 2.

R3-7

Wrong way

R3-7.1

Wrong way - go back

Traffic sign which says wrong way with a red rectangular background

Traffic sign with words wrong way, line in the middle and another words saying go back underneath on a red background

Should be installed on a motorway off-ramp (or similar high-speed section of one-way road) to warn drivers who may inadvertently enter the offramp at the terminal and attempt to proceed towards fast moving opposing traffic.

For sign location, see note 7.

R3-12

One way

R3-12 signs should be installed on a one-way roadway near private accesses at which there are significant turning movements.

For sign location, see note 6.

R5-4

Height restriction

Traffic sign with a number 4.6m at the centre of the top and bottom triangles with red circular border

Should be installed at the structure abutment or on the approach to the structure or section of road at a location where heavy vehicles can turn around.

R7-2.1

Supplementary ‘Begins’

May be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign.

R7-2.2

Supplementary ‘Ends’

May be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign.

R7-2.3

Supplementary Next [distance]

Traffic sign which says next 2 km with a red rectangular border

May be used as a supplementary to a regulatory sign.

The sign shown is an example of the “NEXT 2 km” form, however, the sign may also contain the message “NEXT ‘[distance]’ m” or “NEXT ‘[distance]’ km” where ‘[distance]’ is a value other than 2.

Table 15‑1 notes:

The sign should normally be installed in the median of the roadway, if safe to do so, and so that an approaching driver has an uninterrupted view of the sign over a distance of 60m.
Should be installed in the middle of and as close as practicable to each end of the closed road. The use of R3-6 signs at road works is to be in accordance with the TCD manual Part 8 where full details of location and layout with respect to other temporary signs are given. Each R3-6 sign should be so located that an approaching driver has an uninterrupted view of it over a distance of at least 120m in rural areas and at least 60m in other areas.
The sign should normally be installed on the left-hand side at a point not more than 15m before the intersection, so that an approaching driver has an uninterrupted view of the sign over a distance of at least 60m.
The sign should normally be installed on the left-hand side at a point not more than 15m before the intersection, so that an approaching driver has an uninterrupted view of the sign over a distance of at least 60m. In order to achieve this sight distance it may be necessary to install the sign on the right-hand side of the roadway.
The sign should normally be installed on the left-hand side as close as possible to the start of the one-way roadway so that an approaching driver has an uninterrupted view of the sign over a distance of at least 120m in rural areas and at least 60m in other areas. In order to achieve these sight distances it may be necessary to install the sign on the right-hand side of the roadway.
The sign should be installed as close as possible to intersection or access, be approximately parallel to the one-way roadway, and face traffic about to turn into the one-way roadway. An approaching driver should have an uninterrupted view of the sign over a distance of at least 60m.
The sign should be located 30m from the off-ramp terminal facing, and to the left of, drivers who may enter the off-ramp in the wrong direction. The sign should be installed 600mm clear of the back of the ramp shoulder or kerb.

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