Section 6D — Road Traffic Act 1988: Arrest

Arrest 6D 1 A constable may arrest a person without warrant if as a result of a preliminary breath test or preliminary drug test the constable reasonably suspects that—

a the proportion of alcohol in the person's breath or blood exceeds the prescribed limit, or b the person has a specified controlled drug in his body and the proportion of it in the person's blood or urine exceeds the specified limit for that drug. 1A The fact that specimens of breath have been provided under section 7 of this Act by the person concerned does not prevent subsection (1) above having effect if the constable who imposed on him the requirement to provide the specimens has reasonable cause to believe that the device used to analyse the specimens has not produced a reliable indication of the proportion of alcohol in the breath of the person.

2 A constable may arrest a person without warrant if—

a the person fails to co-operate with a preliminary test in pursuance of a requirement imposed under section 6, and b the constable reasonably suspects that the person has alcohol or a drug in his body or is under the influence of a drug. 2A A person arrested under this section may, instead of being taken to a police station, be detained at or near the place where the preliminary test was, or would have been, administered, with a view to imposing on him there a requirement under section 7 of this Act. 2A Instead of, or before, arresting a person under this section, a constable may detain the person at or near the place where the preliminary test was, or would have been, administered with a view to imposing on the person there a requirement under section 7.

3 A person may not be arrested under this section while at a hospital as a patient.