Road Traffic Act 1988

192 General interpretation of Act. E+W+S

(1) In this Act—

• [F1 “approved testing authority” means a person authorised by the Secretary of State under section 8 of the Transport Act 1982 to carry on a vehicle testing business within the meaning of Part II of that Act]

• “bridleway” means a way over which the public have the following, but no other, rights of way: a right of way on foot and a right of way on horseback or leading a horse, with or without a right to drive animals of any description along the way,

• “carriage of goods” includes the haulage of goods,

• “cycle” means a bicycle, a tricycle, or a cycle having four or more wheels, not being in any case a motor vehicle,

• “driver”, where a separate person acts as a steersman of a motor vehicle, includes (except for the purposes of section 1 of this Act) that person as well as any other person engaged in the driving of the vehicle, and “drive” is to be interpreted accordingly,

• “footpath”, in relation to England and Wales, means a way over which the public have a right of way on foot only,

• “goods” includes goods or burden of any description,

• “goods vehicle” means a motor vehicle constructed or adapted for use for the carriage of goods, or a trailer so constructed or adapted,

• “highway authority”, in relation to England and Wales, means—

(a) in relation to a road other than a trunk road, the authority (being either the council of a county, metropolitan district or London borough or the Common Council of the City of London) which is responsible for the maintenance of the road, and

(b) in relation to a trunk road, the Secretary of State,

• “international road haulage permit” means a licence, permit, authorisation or other document issued in pursuance of a Community instrument relating to the carriage of goods by road between member States or an international agreement to which the United Kingdom is a party and which relates to the international carriage of goods by road,

• “owner”, in relation to a vehicle which is the subject of a hiring agreement or hire-purchase agreement, means the person in possession of the vehicle under that agreement,

• “petty sessions area” has the same meaning as in the M1 Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980,

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State,

• “road”, in relation to England and Wales, means any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes,

• “the Road Traffic Acts” means the M2 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, the M3 Road Traffic (Consequential Provisions) Act 1988 (so far as it reproduces the effect of provisions repealed by that Act) and this Act,

• “statutory”, in relation to any prohibition, restriction, requirement or provision, means contained in, or having effect under, any enactment (including any enactment contained in this Act),

• “the Traffic Acts” means the Road Traffic Acts and the M4 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984,

• “traffic sign” has the meaning given by section 64(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984,

• “tramcar” includes any carriage used on any road by virtue of an order under the M5 Light Railways Act 1896, and

• “trolley vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle adapted for use on roads without rails and moved by power transmitted to it from some external source.

(2) In this Act—

• “carriageway”

• “footway”

• “local roads authority”

• “public road”

• “road”

• “roads authority”

• “special road” and

• “trunk road”,

in relation to Scotland, have the same meanings as in the M6 Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, and “footpath”, in relation to Scotland, means a way over which the public have a right of way on foot only (whether or not associated with a carriageway).

(3) References in this Act to a class of vehicles are to be interpreted as references to a class defined or described by reference to any characteristics of the vehicles or to any other circumstances whatsoever [F2 and accordingly as authorising the use of “category” to indicate a class of vehicles, however defined or described].

Textual Amendments

F1 Definition inserted (prosp.) by Road Traffic (Consequential Provisions) Act 1988 (c. 54, SIF 107:1), ss. 4, 8(3)(a), Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 19

F2 Words inserted by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c.22, SIF 107:1), s. 7, Sch. 3 para. 24

Marginal Citations

M1 1980 c. 43.

M2 1988 c. 53.

M3 1988 c. 54.

M4 1984 c. 27.

M5 1896 c. 48.

M6 1984 c. 54.