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Provided also that no such by-law shall justify any person
in driving a motor-vehicle at a speed which is or might be
dangerous to the public or any person, even though such
speed does not exceed the maximum speed prescribed by
such by-law.

(4) When a copy of such by-law is sent by a controlling
authority to the Minister as required by section 25 of the said
Act, there shall be sent therewith a sketch plan or map of the
road and locality, showing the position of the traffic signs
erected, but it shall not be necessary to the validity of any
speed limit fixed under the last preceding clause hereof to
prove that such copy of a by-law and sketch plan or map
have been sent as hereby required.

(5) No speed-limit shall be fixed by a controlling authority
otherwise than as provided by this regulation.

(6) The traffic signs of Class D required pursuant to clause
(12) of Regulation 16 hereof shall be removed by the con-
trolling authority which has erected them as soon as possible
after any relative by-law or portion thereof is disallowed
by the Minister under section 25 of the said Act.

(7) It shall be no defence in any proceedings for an offence
against these regulations, or under any of the sections of Part
IV of the said Act, or under any other Act, that at the time
of the alleged offence the motor-vehicle was being driven at a
speed not exceeding the maximum speed fixed by or pursuant
to this regulation.

(8) It shall be a defence to any person charged with an
offence against this regulation if such person proves that he
was at the time of the act or omission in respect of which he
is so charged the driver of a motor-vehicle—
(a) Used by a fire brigade for attendance at fires and at the
time responding to a call of fire; or
(b) Used as an ambulance and being at the time used on
urgent ambulance service; or
(c) Conveying a Police Officer (whether in uniform or not)
or Traffic Inspector on urgent public business or
engaged in the execution of his duty;
and in every such case that such person took all reasonable
care under the circumstances to prevent the occurrence of
any accident, mishap, collision, damage, or any injury to, or
interference with any person, animal, property, or object
on any road or other place by reason of such act or omission.

REGULATION 16.—TRAFFIC SIGNS.

(1) Traffic signs shall be of the following classes:—
Class A : Signs denoting the proximity of a level railway
crossing.

Class B: Signs indicating a condition requiring extra
caution not due to the nature or condition of the road
but due to the existence of other circumstances (railway
crossings excepted), such as proximity to a school,
hospital, side road or cross road, requiring special
watchfulness or caution on the part of the driver of a
motor-vehicle.

Class C : Signs indicating the nature or condition of the
road, such as a sharp bend or turning, steep hill,
narrow bridge, or loose gravel, requiring slow speed
and extra caution on the part of the driver of a motor-
vehicle.

Class D : Signs denoting any speed-limits for motor-
vehicle traffic fixed by a local authority under Regula-
tion 15 hereof.

Class E : Signs conveying any further information re-
lating to motor-vehicle traffic:

Provided that information as to destinations, routes,
names of localities, or distances, or remarks of courtesy
shall not be deemed information relating to motor-
vehicle traffic, and shall not be displayed on traffic
signs:

Provided also that traffic domes or other indicators
placed upon roads by controlling authorities for the
direction of traffic shall not be deemed traffic signs for
the purposes of this regulation.

(2) Signs of Class A shall be in the form of diagram No. 1
in the Second Schedule hereto—that is to say, in the form
of a St. Andrew's Cross of the dimensions as shown in the
said Second Schedule, coloured white, and bearing in black
letters the words “Railway Crossing.”

(3) Signs of Class B shall be in the form of diagram No. 2
in the Second Schedule hereto—that is to say, in the form
of a square with sides set vertically, having sides approxi-
mately 2 ft. long, coloured yellow, and bearing in black
letters the word “school” or the word “hospital” or such
other word or words as may be required to inform a motor-
vehicle driver of the need for caution.

(4) Signs of Class C shall be in the form of diagram No. 3
in the said Second Schedule—that is to say, in the form of
a square with one diagonal set vertically, having sides
approximately 2 ft. long, coloured yellow, and bearing in
black letters such of the words “Danger,” “Dangerous

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 16

“corner,” or other appropriate words or approved symbols
as the local authority thinks fit:

Provided that no symbol shall be used in a traffic sign except
such symbols as may from time to time, by notice in the Gazette,
be approved by the Minister for that purpose.

(5) Signs of Class D shall be in the form of diagram No. 4
and diagram No. 5 respectively in the said Second Schedule—
that is to say, in the same form and of the same colour and
dimensions as diagram No. 3, but bearing in black characters
the respective words set out in diagrams No. 4 and No. 5, and
figures denoting the maximum number of miles per hour fixed
as the local speed-limit.

(6) Signs of Class E shall be in the form of diagram No. 6
in the said Second Schedule—that is to say, in the form of a
rectangle 24 in. in length and 15 in. in height (or in the same
proportions but of any greater dimensions required to carry
the notice), coloured white and bearing characters in black.

(7) All characters shall be in capital letters and figures of
the style known as bold-faced sans-serif, and shall be plain
and legible and uniform in size and of a minimum height of
3 in., save that the letters in signs of Class A, the approved
symbols in signs of Class C, and the figures denoting the
maximum number of miles per hour in signs of Class D shall
be of a height of approximately 10 in.

(8) All supports of traffic signs shall be coloured white.

(9) Every local authority shall upon every road crossed by
a railway or tramway, whether public or private, which
crosses a road after crossing land that is not a road and
on each side of such crossing erect a traffic sign of Class A.

(10) Every local authority shall, in connection with every
entrance leading from a road to a school for children (whether
public or private, including premises in use as Sunday schools),
or to a public hospital, or with any other place which in the
opinion of the local authority requires watchfulness or caution
on the part of a motor-driver, erect such one or more traffic
signs of Class B as it shall deem necessary.

(11) Every local authority shall erect a traffic sign of Class C
at such places as are in its opinion dangerous for motor traffic
and require slow speed owing to the state, nature, or condi-
tion of the road:

Provided that it shall not be necessary in the case of a rail-
way crossing to erect any traffic sign other than the traffic
signs of Class A required by clause (9) hereof.

(12) Every local authority fixing a speed-limit for motor-
vehicle traffic under Regulation 15 hereof shall erect and
maintain traffic signs of Class D at each end of every road
or portion of a road affected by such speed-limit, and, save
in boroughs or town districts, at every intersection of such
road or portion of a road by another road. In boroughs and
town districts signs of Class D shall be erected and main-
tained at reasonable intervals along every road or portion
of a road affected by such speed limit, as well as at the ends
thereof, so that the driver of a motor-vehicle turning from
another road into a road affected by such speed-limit may
have reasonable opportunity of being aware of the existence
of such speed-limit.

(13) It shall be a defence to any local authority charged
with the offence of failing to comply with any of the require-
ments of clauses 9, 10, and 11 of this regulation, such offence
being committed prior to the 1st day of December, 1928, if
such local authority proves that it is proceeding with the
erecti on of the signs and that, in the circumstances, there has
been no unreasonable delay in their erection.

(14) No local authority shall erect or maintain any traffic
sign relating (whether exclusively or not) to the traffic of
motor-vehicles otherwise than in accordance with the require-
ments of this regulation:

Provided that any local authority may for a period not
exceeding five years from the date of coming into force of
these regulations continue to maintain any traffic sign hereto-
fore erected which is not in accordance with the requirements
of this regulation as to colour or design, and any sign so
maintained shall be deemed to be a sufficient traffic sign for
any of the purposes of these regulations:

Provided also that in case of temporary danger such as
slips, wash-outs, blasting operations, or when workmen are
engaged on a road, warning of the existence of the danger
may be given as a temporary measure by the use of a bright
red rectangular cloth or board having a surface of not less
than four square feet in area and stretched between two
supports so as to be displayed at right angles to the direction
of the road, and in other respects as nearly as may be in
accordance with the requirements of this regulation.

(15) Every local authority that has erected or hereafter
erects a traffic sign shall at all times while the same remains
in position maintain the same in good repair, undefaced, and
undamaged, and with the colours thereof and the characters
thereon in bright, clear, and legible condition.

(16) Every local authority erecting a traffic sign shall erect
the same at such a site, at such a height above the level of