The Road Traffic Fixed Penalty (Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Road Traffic Fixed Penalty (Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the principal Regulations”) to take account of the changes to the fixed penalty regime under Part IV of the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 effected by the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007.

Regulation 2 amends regulation 1 of the principal Regulations to exclude fixed penalties issued by vehicle examiners from the scope of the principal Regulations. The Road Traffic Fixed Penalty (Procedure) (Vehicle Examiners) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 will apply to such notices.

Regulations 3 to 6 amend references in regulations 2(2), 3(2), 4(1) and 6 of the principal Regulations to driving licences if the recipient of the fixed penalty notice does not hold a driving licence. Articles 38 and 39 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 amend the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 so that fixed penalties with penalty points can be issued to drivers without a Northern Ireland licence.

Regulation 7 amends Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations concerning the information or further information to be contained in certain documents mentioned in Part IV of the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

While these Regulations will have no significant impact on the costs of business and the voluntary sector, a Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared for the Graduated Fixed Penalties, Financial Penalty Deposit and Immobilisation Schemes of which they are part. A copy is available from Road Safety Division, Department of the Environment, Clarence Court, 10-18 Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8GB or the Department of the Environment website at www.roadsafetyni.gov.uk.