Maximum lateness
Also: Maximum permitted lateness, Lateness limit
Maximum lateness is the most you may be late at a control. Go over it and you risk being excluded.
Maximum lateness is the longest delay you are allowed at a time control or over a leg. If you go over it, depending on the regulations you are taken out of the results or get a large fixed penalty.
What it is for
Maximum lateness keeps the field together. Marshals at the controls cannot wait forever. At the same time it gives you some slack if a breakdown or traffic jam holds you up.
How it is set
How long it is and what it applies to is in the supplementary regulations. Some organisers set it per control, others per leg or per day. Inside the limit you still usually get penalty points for every minute late. So it is not a free tolerance, only the line up to which you stay in the results.
What you can do
If a breakdown puts you far behind your target time, work out whether you can still reach the next control within the limit. Do not drive faster than the road and traffic allow. You cannot make up any amount of time on public roads.
Read more in our guide to time controls and penalties.