Section 6B — Road Traffic Act 1988: Preliminary impairment test

Preliminary impairment test 6B 1 A preliminary impairment test is a procedure whereby the constable administering the test—

a observes the person to whom the test is administered in his performance of tasks specified by the constable, and b makes such other observations of the person’s physical state as the constable thinks expedient.

2 The Secretary of State shall issue (and may from time to time revise) a code of practice about—

a the kind of task that may be specified for the purpose of a preliminary impairment test, b the kind of observation of physical state that may be made in the course of a preliminary impairment test, c the manner in which a preliminary impairment test should be administered, and d the inferences that may be drawn from observations made in the course of a preliminary impairment test.

3 In issuing or revising the code of practice the Secretary of State shall aim to ensure that a preliminary impairment test is designed to indicate—

a whether a person is unfit to drive, and b if he is, whether or not his unfitness is likely to be due to drink or drugs.

4 A preliminary impairment test may be administered—

a at or near the place where the requirement to co-operate with the test is imposed, or b if the constable who imposes the requirement thinks it expedient, at a police station specified by him.

5 A constable administering a preliminary impairment test shall have regard to the code of practice under this section.

6 A constable may administer a preliminary impairment test only if he is approved for that purpose by the chief officer of the police force to which he belongs.

7 A code of practice under this section may include provision about—

a the giving of approval under subsection (6),

and b in particular, the kind of training that a constable should have undergone, or the kind of qualification that a constable should possess, before being approved under that subsection.