Security

[Lborobrewer]

I recently went to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham and I noticed that security were driving round in road registered vehicles liveried like Police vehicles and fitted with blue lights. What are the legalities of this? Also there was a course being advertised for driver training for under 17 year olds, surely as the NEC is regularly accessed by the public then the Road Traffic Act with regards to insurance applies.

[Toureman]

As long as the blue lights are never activated it is legal.

The driver training must be in a private compound where the general public have no access to be legal.

[New Judge]

The definition of “other public place” for the Road Traffic Act is usually interpreted as a place to which the public have unfettered access (with the rider “during opening hours” if applicable). So for example, Tescos car park would fit the bill, but a private (e.g. office) car park which restricts entry to, say, staff with a permit, would not.

Ambiguities arise in this definition however. What if the car park is open to all but is gated and access only allowed by an attendant who opens a barrier? What about Tescos car park when the store is closed and the car park gated?

Not sure about the NEC or how it operates but I would imagine they have looked into it.

[hc4361]

The public only have access to the NEC car parks when an event is on.
It is perfectly legal to have off road driving in the car park when there is no other event and admission is barred to people not specifically attending the driving course.

[Buenchico]

Toureman writes:
"As long as the blue lights are never activated it is legal".

Wrong!
http://www.legislatio...96/regulation/16/made

Chris