{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-reform-act-2002/section-59",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-reform-act-2002/section-59.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2002/30",
  "legislation_title": "Police Reform Act 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-reform-act-2002",
  "path": "section/59",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "59",
  "heading": "Vehicles used in manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance",
  "text": "(1) Where a constable in uniform has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle is being used on any occasion in a manner which—\n(a) contravenes section 3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) (careless and inconsiderate driving and prohibition of off-road driving), and\n(b) is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public,\nhe shall have the powers set out in subsection (3).\n(2) A constable in uniform shall also have the powers set out in subsection (3) where he has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle has been used on any occasion in a manner falling within subsection (1).\n(3) Those powers are—\n(a) power, if the motor vehicle is moving, to order the person driving it to stop the vehicle;\n(b) power to seize and remove the motor vehicle;\n(c) power, for the purposes of exercising a power falling within paragraph (a) or (b), to enter any premises on which he has reasonable grounds for believing the motor vehicle to be;\n(d) power to use reasonable force, if necessary, in the exercise of any power conferred by any of paragraphs to (a) to (c).\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) A person who fails to comply with an order under subsection (3)(a) is guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.\n(7) Subsection (3)(c) does not authorise entry into a private dwelling house.\n(8) The powers conferred on a constable by this section shall be exercisable only at a time when regulations under section 60 are in force.\n(9) In this section—\n“driving” has the same meaning as in the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52);\n“motor vehicle” means any mechanically propelled vehicle, whether or not it is intended or adapted for use on roads; and\n“private dwelling house” does not include any garage or other structure occupied with the dwelling house, or any land appurtenant to the dwelling house.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 59(4) omitted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 26), ss. 8(1), 255(1) (with s. 8(2)); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 59(5) omitted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 26), ss. 8(1), 255(1) (with s. 8(2)); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(c)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/30/section/59",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-31T10:30:50.998378+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}