Automated Vehicles Act 2024

92 Application of roadside testing powers etc

(1) The Road Traffic Act 1988 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 67 (testing of condition of vehicle on roads)—

(a) after subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) An authorised examiner may test an authorised automated vehicle on a road for the purpose of ascertaining whether authorisation requirements or operator licensing regulations are being complied with as respects the vehicle.

(1B) In the sections from this section to section 73 as they apply in relation to an authorised automated vehicle—

(a) references to the driver include any person in charge of the vehicle, and

(b) references to driving the vehicle include operating it in any other way.”;

(b) in subsection (3B)—

(i) omit the “and” after paragraph (b);

(ii) after paragraph (c) insert “, and

(d) authorised automated vehicles.”;

(c) after subsection (8) insert—

“(8A) Subsection (8), as it applies in respect of an authorised automated vehicle, is to be read as if any failure to comply with authorisation requirements or operator licensing regulations were a defect.”;

(d) at the end insert—

“(11) For the purposes of the sections from this section to section 73, inspecting a vehicle includes examining any electronic information stored on, or accessible from, equipment of the vehicle.”

(3) In section 68 (general power of examiners to inspect goods vehicles and passenger vehicles)—

(a) in the heading, for “and goods vehicles” substitute “, goods vehicles and authorised automated vehicles”;

(b) in subsection (6)—

(i) omit the “and” after paragraph (b);

(ii) after paragraph (c) insert “and

(d) authorised automated vehicles;”;

(c) at the end insert—

“(7) But this section does not authorise entry onto domestic premises in respect of a vehicle to which this section applies only because it is an authorised automated vehicle.

(8) In subsection (7), “domestic premises” means premises used as a private dwelling or as an appurtenance to a private dwelling.”;

and in the italic heading preceding that section, for “and goods vehicles” substitute “, goods vehicles and automated vehicles”.

(4) In section 69 (power to prohibit driving)—

(a) in subsection (1), after paragraph (c) insert “, or

(d) in the case of an authorised automated vehicle, by means of one or more of its authorised automation features.”;

(b) in subsection (2), after paragraph (c) insert “, or

(d) in the case of an authorised automated vehicle, by means of one or more of its authorised automation features.”;

(c) at the end insert—

“(10) This section, as it applies in respect of an authorised automated vehicle, is to be read as if any failure to comply with authorisation requirements or operator licensing regulations were a defect.”