HC Deb 26 February 1991 vol 186 cc810-1

'.After section 13 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 there shall be inserted—

"Disapplication of sections 1 to 3 for authorised motoring events.

13A.—(1) A person shall not be guilty of an offence under sections 1, 2 or 3 of this Act by virtue of driving a vehicle in a public place other than a road if he shows that he was driving in accordance with an authorisation for a motoring event given under regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(2) Regulations under this section may in particular—

  1. (a) prescribe the persons by whom, and limit the circumstances in which and the places in respect of which, authorisations may be given under the regulations;
  2. (b) specify conditions which must be incorporated in authorisations;
  3. (c) provide for authorisations to cease to have effect in prescribed circumstances;
  4. (d) provide for the procedure to be followed, the particulars to be given, and the amount of any fees to be paid, in connection with applications for authorisations;
  5. (e) make different provisions for different cases.".'.

Brought up, and read the First time.

Mr. Chope

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

Mr. Speaker

With this, it will be convenient to take amendment No. 72, in page 2, line 19, at end insert— '( ) Any competitor in or official of a motor sport event licensed by an appropriate body approved by the Secretary of State shall not be treated as being in a public place whilst taking part in such an event.'.

Mr. Chope

The new clause was tabled in response to concern about the possible consequences for motor sports events of extending the scope of the bad driving offences in the Bill to public places other than roads.

It is desirable in principle that the laws relating to dangerous driving should be extended to public places, but motor sports events give rise to several questions. Where motor sports events such as rallies take place on the road, the Road Traffic Acts do and should apply. Nothing in the Bill affects race tracks such as Silverstone or Brands Hatch, to which the Road Traffic Acts have never applied. The events with which we are concerned are time trials and similar rally stages organised in areas such as Forestry Commission land, where spectators can move freely throughout the area in which the rally is taking place. The tracks on which the events take place are likely, in such circumstances, to come within the definition of "public place".

No one is suggesting that it is right for rally drivers to drive irresponsibly but the manner of driving and the state of the vehicles being driven in off road events is such that they cannot properly be judged by the same criteria as driving on the public highway. It is right, therefore, that such events should be treated differently and that the provisions of sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 should not apply.

I hope that the House will accept the new clause and that my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley will seek to withdraw his amendment, as the present proposal goes rather wider.

Mr. Gary Waller (Keighley)

I thank my hon. Friend for listening so carefully to what was said in Committee. The Royal Automobile Club and many of my hon. Friends were concerned at the risk that would have been posed to motor sports had the Bill remained unamended. We warmly appreciate the change that my hon. Friend has brought about, and I thank him for it.

Question put and agreed to

Clause read a Second time, and added to the Bill.

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