Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981

Prospective

[F1 Immobilisation N.I.

F1 Sch. 2A inserted (prosp.) by Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/916 (N.I. 10)), arts. 1(3), 25(3), Sch. 3

1.— (1) Regulations may make provision with respect to any case where an authorised person has reason to believe that, on or after such date as may be prescribed, an offence under Article 91A is being committed as regards a vehicle which is stationary on a road or other public place. N.I.

(2) The regulations may provide that the authorised person or a person acting under his direction may–

(a) fix an immobilisation device to the vehicle while it remains in the place where it is stationary, or

(b) move it from that place to another place on the same or another road or public place and fix an immobilization device to it in that other place.

(3) The regulations may provide that on any occasion when an immobilisation device is fixed to a vehicle in accordance with the regulations the person fixing the device must also fix to the vehicle a notice–

(a) indicating that the device has been fixed to the vehicle and warning that no attempt should be made to drive it or otherwise put it in motion until it has been released from the device,

(b) specifying the steps to be taken to secure its release, and

(c) giving such other information as may be prescribed.

(4) The regulations may provide that a vehicle to which an immobilisation device has been fixed in accordance with the regulations–

(a) may only be released from the device by or under the direction of an authorised person, but

(b) subject to that, must be released from the device if the first and second requirements specified below are met.

(5) The first requirement is that such charge in respect of the release as may be prescribed is paid in any manner specified in the immobilisation notice.

(6) The second requirement is that, in accordance with instructions specified in the immobilisation notice, there is produced such evidence as may be prescribed establishing–

(a) that any person who proposes to drive the vehicle away will not in doing so be guilty of an offence under Article 90, and

(b) that the person in whose name the vehicle is registered under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 is not guilty of an offence under Article 91A as regards the vehicle.

(7) The regulations may provide that they do not apply in relation to a vehicle if–

(a) a current disabled person's badge is displayed on the vehicle, or

(b) such other conditions as may be prescribed are fulfilled,

and “disabled person's badge” means a badge issued, or having effect as if issued, under any regulations for the time being in force under section 14 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 or a recognised badge within the meaning given by section 14A of that Act.

(8) The regulations may provide that an immobilisation notice is not to be removed or interfered with except by or on the authority of a person falling within a prescribed description.]