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The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Police Driving: Prescribed Training) Regulations 2023

S.I. 2023/185 · Made 21 February 2023 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 24 July 2025.

This Statutory Instrument has been made in consequence of a defect in S.I. 2022/1112 and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of that Statutory Instrument.

Police

Roads

Made 21st February 2023

Laid before Parliament 23rd February 2023

Coming into force 20th March 2023

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 2A(1A)(b), 3ZA(2A)(b), 192(1) and 195(7) of the Road Traffic Act 1988f1.

In accordance with section 195(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, the Secretary of State has consulted with representative organisations.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1988 c. 52. Section 2A was inserted by section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40) and amended by section 143(1) and (3) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 9) and section 5 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c.32) (‘the 2022 Act’). Section 3ZA was inserted by section 30 of the Road Safety Act 2006 (c. 49) and amended by section 6 of the 2022 Act. The definition of “prescribed” in section 192(1) was amended by paragraphs 1 and 7 of Schedule 22 to the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22). There are other amendments to section 192(1) that are not relevant to this instrument. Section 195(7) was inserted by section 7 of the 2022 Act.

Contents

  1. 1Citation, commencement, extent and revocation
  2. 2Interpretation
  3. 3Prescribed training provided by a provider licensed by the College of Policing
  4. 4Required refresher training frequency for training provided by a provider licensed by the College of Policing
  5. 5Prescribed training provided by Police Scotland
  6. 6Required refresher training frequency for training provided by Police Scotland
  7. 7Prescribed training completed prior to 30th November 2022
  8. Signature
  9. Schedule Schedule
  10. Explanatory note

1Citation, commencement, extent and revocationI1

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Police Driving: Prescribed Training) Regulations 2023 and come into force on 20th March 2023.

(2)

These Regulations extend to Great Britain.

(3)

The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Police Driving: Prescribed Training) Regulations 2022f1 are revoked.

2InterpretationI1

In these Regulations—

  • “the 1988 Act” means the Road Traffic Act 1988;

  • “chief officer” means—

    1. (a)

      in relation to a police force maintained under section 2 of the Police Act 1996f1, the chief constable;

    2. (b)

      in relation to Police Scotland, the chief constable;

    3. (c)

      in relation to the metropolitan police force, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis;

    4. (d)

      in relation to the City of London police force, the Commissioner of Police for the City of London;

    5. (e)

      in relation to the British Transport Police Force, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the chief constable, and

    6. (f)

      in relation to the National Crime Agency, the Director General.

3Prescribed training provided by a provider licensed by the College of PolicingF2I1

A training course listed in column 1 of Table 1 in the Schedule is prescribed training for the purposes of sections 2A and 3ZA of the 1988 Act if—

(a)

it is delivered by a provider licensed by the College of Policing;

(b)

the instructor or trainer has met, respectively, the F1College of Policing Standard for Instructors or the College of Policing Standard for Trainers;

(c)

it includes consideration of and instruction on—

(i)

the National Decision Model, and

(ii)

the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice for Roads Policing: Police Drivers and, where relevant, Police Pursuits;

(d)

it meets the relevant requirements in columns 2 and 3 of Table 1.

4Required refresher training frequency for training provided by a provider licensed by the College of PolicingF1I1

At the end of the period specified in column 4 of Table 1 in the Schedule, a training course listed in column 1 of Table 1 is prescribed training for the purposes of sections 2A and 3ZA of the 1988 Act if refresher training has been undertaken in accordance with the requirements in Table 2 in the Schedule.

5Prescribed training provided by Police ScotlandF1I1

A training course listed in column 1 of Table 1 in the Schedule is prescribed training for the purposes of sections 2A and 3ZA of the 1988 Act if—

(a)

it is delivered by Police Scotland;

(b)

the instructor or trainer has completed the relevant Scottish Police College training and the Police Scotland Training for Trainers Course;

(c)

it includes consideration of and instruction on the National Decision Model;

(d)

it meets the relevant requirements in columns 2 and 3 of Table 1.

6Required refresher training frequency for training provided by Police ScotlandF1I1

At the end of the period specified in column 4 of Table 1 in the Schedule, a training course listed in column 1 of Table 1 is prescribed training for the purposes of sections 2A and 3ZA of the 1988 Act if refresher training has been undertaken in accordance with the requirements in Table 2 in the Schedule.

7Prescribed training completed prior to 30th November 2022I1

(1)

Training completed by designated persons prior to 30th November 2022 is prescribed training for the purposes of sections 2A and 3ZA of the 1988 Act if—

(a)

it was approved by a chief officer, and

(b)

that chief officer is satisfied that it is equivalent to a type of training specified in Table 1.

(2)

At the end of the relevant period, training described in paragraph (1) is prescribed training for the purposes of sections 2A and 3ZA of the 1988 Act if refresher training for the type of training that it is equivalent to has been undertaken in accordance with the requirements in Table 2 in the Schedule.

(3)

The relevant period in paragraph (2) is the period specified in column 4 of Table 1 for the type of training that it is equivalent to, beginning with 30th November 2022.

Signature

Chris Philp

Minister of State

Home Office

21st February 2023

I1

Table 1

Course typeRequired length of courseRequired minimum number of trainers to maximum number of F1learners Period training is valid for before refresher training is required
F2Response driving Three weeksOne to threeFive years
Advanced drivingFour weeksOne to threeFive years
Initial phase pursuit (IPP)Three daysThree to sixFive years
Tactical phase pursuit (TPaC) F3One week Five to sixThree years
Riding with a pillion passengerTwo daysOne to two F4Three years
Response motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 (inclusive)Three weeksOne to twoThree years
Response motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2023Three weeksOne to two Three years
Advanced motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 (inclusive)Two weeksOne to twoThree years
Advanced motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2023Two weeksOne to two Three years
Evasive and offensive drivingTwo daysThree to six Three years
Protected convoy drivingThree daysThree to six Three years
VIP protection motorcycle escorts F5One week Two to four Three years
Escorting vehicles (abnormal loads etc)Three days F6Three to six F7Five years
F8. . .. . .. . .. . .
F9. . .. . .. . .. . .
Category B vans & passenger vehicles F10One day F11One to three Unlimited validity
VIP protection drivingThree days F12Three to six Three years
F13. . .. . .. . .. . .

Table 2

Course typeRequired refresher training frequencyRequired refresher training lengthRequired refresher training minimum number of trainers to maximum number of F14learners
F15Response driving Every five yearsOne dayOne to two
Advanced drivingEvery five yearsOne dayOne to two
Initial phase pursuit (IPP)Every five yearsOne dayThree to six
Tactical phase pursuit (TPaC)Every three yearsTwo daysFive to six
Riding with a pillion passengerEvery F16three years Half a dayOne to two
Response motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 (inclusive)Every three yearsTwo daysOne to two
Response motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2023Every three years Two daysOne to two
Advanced motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 (inclusive)Every three yearsTwo daysOne to two
Advanced motorcycling undertaken from 1st April 2023Every three years Two daysOne to two
Evasive and offensive drivingEvery three years One dayThree to six
Protected convoy drivingEvery three years One dayThree to six
VIP protection motorcycle escortsEvery three years Two daysTwo to four
F17Escorting vehicles (abnormal loads etc) Every five yearsOne dayThree to six
VIP protection drivingEvery three years One day F18Three to six
F19. . .. . .. . .. . .

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations prescribe training for the purposes of sections 2A and 3ZA of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52).

These Regulations revoke the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Police Driving: Prescribed Training) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1112). These Regulations are materially the same as the Regulations revoked, except technical changes have been made. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32) amended sections 2A and 3ZA of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to make provision as to the meaning of dangerous driving and careless driving in respect of police driving. Those standards for police driving refer to the driver having undertaken “prescribed training”. Regulation 3 sets out when a training course provided in England and Wales only will be prescribed training. Regulation 4 makes provision for refresher training to be undertaken for a training course provided in England and Wales following the end of the validity period for that course. Regulation 5 sets out when a training course provided in Scotland only will be prescribed training. Regulation 6 makes provision for refresher training to be undertaken for a training course provided in Scotland following the end of the validity period for that course. Regulation 7 makes provision for training completed prior to the commencement of the Regulations revoked to be prescribed training.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private or voluntary sector or community bodies is foreseen.