Part 6: Adaptation of existing regimes Section 92: Application of roadside testing powers etc
This section extends the existing powers of vehicle examiners to cover authorised automated vehicles for the purposes of determining whether these vehicles meet authorisation or operator licensing requirements. The Secretary of State already has powers (conferred by section 66A of the Road Traffic Act 1988) to appoint ‘vehicle examiners’. These examiners have the power to conduct examinations of vehicles in relation to existing operator licensing and safety regulations for conventional vehicles.
	The section also extends the power of vehicle examiners to prohibit a vehicle from driving if an examination identifies a failure to meet authorisation or operator licensing requirements.
	The section extends the powers of vehicle examiners by amending the relevant sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988. It also clarifies the application of terms such as ‘driver’ and ‘driving’ when applied to an authorised automated vehicle, and clarifies that a ‘defect’ is any failure to comply with an authorisation or operator licensing requirement.