Road Traffic Act 1972

177 Prosecution and punishment of offences

(1) Part I of Schedule 4 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the prosecution and punishment of the offences against the provisions of this Act specified in column 1 of that Part of that Schedule or regulations made thereunder (of which the general nature is indicated in column 2 thereof).

(2) In relation to any such offence—

(a) column 3 of that Part of that Schedule shows whether the offence is punishable on summary conviction or on indictment or either in one way or the other ;

(b) column 4 of that Part of that Schedule shows the maximum, punishment by way of fine or imprisonment which may be imposed on a person convicted of the offence in the way specified in relation thereto in column 3 (that is to say, summarily or on indictment), any reference in column 4 to a period of years or months being construed as a reference to a term of imprisonment of that duration ;

(c) column 5 of that Part of that Schedule shows in relation to which offences the court is required by section 93(1) or empowered by section 93(2) of this Act to order the person convicted to be disqualified for holding or obtaining a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of this Act (whether or not the court is also required to disqualify him for an additional period by section 93(3) of this Act), any reference in column 5 to obligatory disqualification importing such a requirement and any reference therein to discretionary disqualification importing such a power ;

(d) column 6 of that Part of that Schedule shows in relation to which offences the court is required by section 101(1) of this Act to order that particulars of the conviction, and, if the court orders him to be disqualified, particulars of the disqualification, are to be endorsed on any licence held by him ; and

(e) column 7 of that Part of that Schedule applies to such of the offences against provisions of this Act specified in column 1 as are indicated by entries against those offences in column 7 the additional provisions of this Act (relating to the prosecution and trial of such offences) specified in those entries.

(3) Parts II and III of that Schedule show offences which are not offences under this Act and are not punishable thereunder but on conviction of which the court is required by section 93(1) or, as the case may be, empowered by section 93(2) of this Act to order the person convicted to be disqualified for holding or obtaining a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Act and, in either case, required by section 101(1) of this Act to order that particulars of the conviction, and, if the court orders him to be disqualified, particulars of the disqualification, are to be endorsed on any licence held by him.

(4) The provisions contained in Part IV of that Schedule (being provisions as to alternative verdicts, as to charges which may be preferred when a person is not convicted of an offence charged and as to the conviction of persons of certain offences despite the absence of a warning of prosecution of those offences) shall have effect in relation to such of the offences against provisions of this Act specified in column 1 of Part I of that Schedule as are indicated by entries against those offences in column 7 of that Part; and in Scotland the provisions of paragraph 3 of Part IV shall have effect also in relation to the offence shown in Part II of that Schedule.

(5) Part V of that Schedule shall have effect for the interpretation of that Schedule.

(6) Any reference in that Schedule to a section by its number only is a reference to a section of this Act.