Speeding Section 19: Exemptions from speed limits
64.Section 19 substitutes a new section 87 of the RTRA. Section 87 currently provides that vehicles being used for fire and rescue authority, ambulance, police or Serious Organised Crime Agency purposes are not subject to any statutory provision imposing a speed limit if observance of the limit would be likely to hinder their use for the purpose for which they are being used on that occasion.
65.The substituted section 87 contained in section 19 enables the Secretary of State to prescribe, by regulations, other purposes (in addition to those relating to fire and rescue authority purposes or for or in connection with the exercise of any function of a relevant authority as defined in section 6 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, for ambulance purposes or for police or Serious Organised Crime Agency purposes) for which vehicles may be exempt from speed limits.
66.The new section provides that the exemption from speed limits does not apply unless the vehicle is being driven by a person who has satisfactorily completed a course of training in the driving of vehicles at high speed provided in accordance with regulations under the new section, or is driving the vehicle as part of such a course.
67.Subsection (3) of the new section enables regulations to be made about courses of training in the driving of vehicles at high speed. These may include, amongst other things, provision about the nature of courses and provision for the approval by the Secretary of State of persons providing courses or giving instruction on courses. For those drivers who have already received appropriate training, paragraph (g) of subsection (4) of the new section provides that regulations may include provision treating courses of training in the driving of vehicles at high speed which have been completed before the coming into force of the regulations as if they had been provided in accordance with the regulations.