Part 1Traffic Officers

Jurisdiction and powers of traffic officers

I16Powers to stop or direct traffic

1

This section confers the following powers on a traffic officer—

a

a power, when the traffic officer is engaged in the regulation of traffic in a road, to direct a person driving or propelling a vehicle—

i

to stop the vehicle, or

ii

to make it proceed in, or keep to, a particular line of traffic;

b

a power, for the purposes of a traffic survey of any description which is being carried out on or in the vicinity of a road, to direct a person driving or propelling a vehicle—

i

to stop the vehicle, or

ii

to make it proceed in, or keep to, a particular line of traffic, or

iii

to proceed to a particular point on or near the road on which the vehicle is being driven or propelled;

(subject to the restriction in section 35(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52));

c

a power, when the traffic officer is engaged in the regulation of vehicular traffic in a road, to direct persons on foot (or such persons and other traffic) to stop;

d

a power to direct a person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, or riding a cycle, on a road to stop the vehicle or cycle.

2

In section 35 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (drivers to comply with traffic directions)—

a

in subsection (1)—

i

after “a constable” there is inserted “ or traffic officer ”;

ii

after “duty” there is inserted “ or the traffic officer (as the case may be) ”;

b

in subsection (2)(b) after “constable” there is inserted “ or traffic officer ”.

3

In section 37 of that Act (directions to pedestrians)—

a

after “uniform” there is inserted “ or traffic officer ”;

b

after “duty” there is inserted “ or the traffic officer (as the case may be) ”.

4

In section 163 of that Act (power of police to stop vehicles), in subsections (1) and (2) after “uniform” there is inserted “ or a traffic officer ”.

5

In Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (c. 53) (prosecution and punishment of offences under the Traffic Acts), in column 5 of the entry relating to section 35 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 after “constable” there is inserted “ , traffic officer ”.