Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Land Transport Act 1998

Land transport secondary legislation

157: Rules concerning roads

You could also call this:

“Rules about how roads are used and managed to keep everyone safe”

You can make rules about roads. These rules can do many things to help keep everyone safe and make sure the roads work well.

You can make rules about how people use roads. These rules can let the people in charge of roads control traffic, stop cars from going on some roads, or close roads when they need to.

The rules can also say how roads should be built and fixed. They can group roads based on what kinds of cars can use them safely.

You can set speed limits for roads all over New Zealand. These speed limits might be different for different types of cars, roads, places, or times of the year. The rules can also let or make the people in charge of roads set these speed limits.

If the people in charge of roads set speed limits, they have to follow certain steps. If they don’t follow these steps, the Agency or the Director can change the speed limit.

The rules can let the people in charge of roads say that part of a road is a construction zone. They can put up special signs in these zones and some cars might not have to follow all the usual rules there.

You can make rules about traffic lights and signs, including how they should be made and used. The rules can also stop people from using shiny materials on signs or billboards that might be dangerous for drivers.

These rules are a special kind of law called secondary legislation. This means they have to be shared with everyone in a certain way.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM435187.

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Part 11 Land transport secondary legislation

157Rules concerning roads

  1. Without limiting the general power to make rules under section 152, ordinary rules may—

  2. regulate the use of roads, and empower road controlling authorities to control, restrict, and prohibit traffic, and to close roads in specified circumstances or on specified occasions, in accordance with the rules:
    1. set out standards, specifications, or codes of practice for the design, construction, alteration, or maintenance of roads and related property:
      1. provide for the classification of roads according to their suitability for use by different classes of motor vehicles:
        1. set, or provide for the setting of, speed limits (including maximum, minimum, variable, and temporary speed limits) for roads throughout New Zealand or in a particular locality, which speed limits may vary according to vehicle classes, types of roads, locality, and time of year:
          1. empower or require road controlling authorities to set speed limits referred to in paragraph (d) for roads within their jurisdiction, and—
            1. set out criteria, requirements, and procedures to be complied with by road controlling authorities when setting speed limits:
              1. authorise the Agency or the Director to change, or modify the application of, a speed limit that does not comply with the prescribed criteria, requirements, or procedures:
              2. provide that a road controlling authority may declare any of its roads or part of any such road to be a construction zone; prescribe the signs to be erected in a construction zone; and provide for the exemption from specified provisions of the rules of specified classes of motor vehicles while used within a construction zone:
                1. provide for the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of traffic control devices:
                  1. regulate or prohibit the use of reflective material on signs, hoardings, and similar structures that may pose a traffic hazard on any road.

                    1. Ordinary rules under this section are secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

                    Notes
                    • Section 157(1)(e): amended, on , by section 113 of the Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 48).
                    • Section 157(1)(e)(ii): amended, on , by section 8 of the Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 9).
                    • Section 157(1)(e)(ii): amended, on , by section 50(1) of the Land Transport Management Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 47).
                    • Section 157(2): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).