Road Traffic Law »

Simon Cooper is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Salford where he teaches Criminal Law and Evidence. He was previously a serving police officer with the Greater Manchester Police from 1976 to 1983, the majority of this time being spent on Road Traffic duties. He was then a lecturer in law at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1990 to 2002, specializing in Criminal Law and Evidence. He has been published widely in numerous legal journals and is the co-author of Elliott & Wood's: Cases and Material on Criminal Law.

Michael Orme retired from Greater Manchester Police in November 2004 having completed 30 years of police service. He specialized in road traffic policing in his career, having spent over 25 years in Road Policing Units both in inner city and territorial divisions.

This practical guide to road traffic law covers all the principal aspects of roads policing and has been fully updated for this second edition. This new edition covers significant changes in road traffic law, such as the enforcement of the Road Safety Act 2006 and updates to the Road Traffic Act 1988. The authors discuss matters such as causing death by careless driving, causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drinking or drugs, insurance and licensing, use of mobile telephones and control of a vehicle, and updates to construction and use rules.

This book also features coverage of driver identification, alcohol and drug related offences, traffic signs and fixed penalties. Each chapter is written in non-technical language and combines explanations of the law with practical illustrations, examples, and FAQs on problems commonly faced by police officers engaged in road traffic law enforcement.

The book focuses on those areas that are most frequently encountered by traffic officers in their everyday working lives, and is a must for all officers engaged in front-line traffic duties.

The Blackstone's Practical Policing Series covers a range of topical subjects of vital importance in today's policing arena. Each practical guide contains clear and detailed explanations of the relevant legislation, accompanied by practical scenarios, illustrative diagrams and useful checklists. Packed with a wealth of information, the Blackstone's Practical Policing Series ensures you have ready access to the tools you need to take on any policing challenge.

Table of Cases

Table of Primary Legislation

Tables of Secondary Legislation

1 Definitions and Basic Concepts 1

2 Accidents, Dangerous and Careless Driving 15

3 Notices of Intended Prosecution and Driver Identification 33

4 Driving with Drink or Drugs 47

5 Insurance and Vehicle Test Certificates 65

6 Driver Licensing 83

7 Construction and Use and Vehicle Lighting 95

8 Traffic Signs and Pedestrian Crossings 113

9 Operators' Licences, Driver Hours, and Tachographs 127

10 Vehicle Excise Licences and Registration 143

11 Fixed Penalties 155

12 Speeding and Miscellaneous Offences 163

1 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, Schedules 2 and 3 185

2 Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, Regulation 27 217

3 Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2 and Regulations 11 and 19 219

4 Driving Licence Information Codes 225

5 Driving Licence Endorsement Offence Codes 227

Index 231