Road Traffic Act 2014

11.

Obligation to perform impairment tests

11. The Act of 2010 is amended by substituting for section 11 the following:

“11. (1) Where a member of the Garda Síochána is of opinion that a person driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle, or in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle with intent to drive or attempt to drive, in a public place is under the influence of an intoxicant, he or she may require the person to perform tests (‘impairment tests’), in accordance with regulations made under this section, in his or her presence or in the presence of another member and in the manner indicated by him or her, or that other member, for the purpose of assessing whether or not the person’s ability to drive is impaired.

(2) Evidence obtained under this section that a person’s ability to drive is impaired shall be evidence for the purposes of sections 4 and 5 that the person is incapable of having proper control of the vehicle referred to in subsection (1).

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) the Minister may prescribe—

(a) the kinds of impairment tests that may be required to be performed,

(b) the manner in which such a test may be administered,

(c) instructions to be given to a person performing such a test,

(d) the kind of observation of physical state that may be made in the course of such a test,

(e) the inferences that may be drawn from observations made in the course of such a test, and

(f) a form on which the observations made and inferences drawn in the course of such a test may be recorded and by which impairment may be assessed.

(4) A person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a requirement under subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a class A fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to both.

(5) A member of the Garda Síochána may arrest without warrant a person who in the member’s opinion is committing or has committed an offence under this section.

(6) Section 1(1) of the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 does not apply to an offence under this section.”.