Motor Car Act 1903
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1903 c. 36 |
| Year | 1903 |
Motor Car Act, 1903
(3 Edw. 7.) CHAPTER 36.
An Act to amend the Locomotives on Highways Act, 1896.
[14th August 1903]
B E it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
1 Reckless driving.
(1) If any person drives a motor car on a public highway recklessly or negligently, or at a speed or in a manner which is dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, including the nature, condition and use of the highway, and to the amount of traffic which actually is at the time, or which might reasonably be expected to be, on the highway, that person shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
(2) Any police constable may apprehend without warrant the driver of any car who commits an offence under this section within his view, if he refuses to give his name and address or produce his licence on demand, or if the motor car does not bear the mark or marks of identification.
(3) If the driver of any car who commits an offence under this section refuses to give his name or address, or gives a false name or address, he shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, and it shall be the duty of the owner of the car, if required, to give any information which it is within his power to give, and which may lead to the identification and apprehension of the driver, and if the owner fails to do so he also shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
2 Registration of motor cars.
(1) Every motor car shall be registered with the council of a county or county borough, and every such council shall assign a separate number to every car registered with them.
(2) A mark, indicating the registered number of the car and the council with which the car is registered, shall be fixed on the car or on a vehicle drawn by the car, or on both, in such manner as the council require in conformity with regulations of the Local Government Board made under this Act.
(3) A fee of twenty shillings shall be charged by the council of a county or county borough on the registration of a car, except in the case of motor cycles, for which the fee shall be five shillings.
(4) If a car is used on a pubic high way without being registered, or if the mark to be fixed in accordance with this Act is not so fixed, or if, being so fixed, it is in any way obscured or rendered or allowed to become not easily distinguishable, the person driving the car shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, unless, in the case of a prosecution for obscuring a mark or rendering or allowing it to become not easily distinguishable, he proves that he has taken all steps reasonably practicable to prevent the mark being obscured or rendered not easily distinguishable.
Provided that—
(a ) A person shall not be liable to a penalty under this section if he proves that he has had no reasonable opportunity of registering the car in accordance with ibis section, and that the car is being driven on a highway for the purpose of being so registered; and
(b ) The council of any county or county borough, in which the business premises of any manufacturer of or dealer in motor cars are situated, may, on payment of such annual fee, not exceeding three pounds, as the council require, assign to that manufacturer or dealer a general identification mark which may be used for any car on trial after completion, or on trial by an intending purchaser, and a person shall not be liable to a penalty under this section while so using the car, if the mark so assigned is fixed upon the car in the manner required by the council in accordance with regulations of the Local Government Board made under this Act.
3 Licensing of drivers.
(1) A person shall not drive a motor car on a public highway unless he is licensed for the purpose under this section, and a person shall not employ any person who is not so licensed to drive a motor car.
If any person acts in contravention of this provision he shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
(2) The council of a county or county borough shall grant a licence to drive a motor car to any person applying for it who resides in that county or county borough on payment of a fee of five shillings, unless the applicant is disqualified under the provisions of this Act.
(3) A licence shall remain in force for a period of twelve months from the date on which it is granted, but shall be renewable, and the same provisions shall apply with respect to the renewal of the licence as apply with respect to the grant of the licence.
(4) A licence must be produced by any person driving a motor car when demanded by a police constable. If any person fails so to produce his licence, he shall be liable, on summary conviction, in respect of each offence to a fine not exceeding five pounds.
(5) Any person under the age of seventeen years shall be disqualified for obtaining a licence (except that a licence limited to driving motor cycles may be granted to a person over the age of fourteen years), and any person who already holds a licence shall be disqualified for obtaining another licence while the licence so held by him is in force.
4 Suspension of licence and disqualification.
(1) Any court before whom a person is convicted of an offence under this Act, or of any offence in connection with the driving of a motor car, other than a first or second offence, consisting solely of exceeding any limit of speed fixed under this Act—
(a ) may, if the person convicted holds any licence under this Act, suspend that licence for such time as the court thinks fit, and, if the court thinks fit, also declare the person convicted disqualified for obtaining a licence for such further time after the expiration of the licence as the court thinks fit; and
(b ) may, if the person convicted does not hold any licence under this Act, declare him disqualified for obtaining a licence for such time as the court thinks fit; and,
(c ) if the person convicted holds any licence under this Act, shall cause particulars of the conviction and of any order of the court made under this section to be endorsed upon any licence held by him, and shall also cause a copy of those particulars to be sent to the council by whom any licence so endorsed has been granted.
(2) Any person so convicted, if he holds any licence under this Act, shall produce the licence within a reasonable time for the purposes of endorsement, and if he fails to do so shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
(3) A licence so suspended by the court shall during the term of suspension be of no effect, and a person whose licence is suspended or who is declared by the court to be disqualified for obtaining a licence shall, during the period of suspension or disqualification, be disqualified for obtaining a licence.
(4) Any person who is by virtue of an order of the court under this section disqualified for obtaining a licence may appeal against the order, in the same manner as a person may appeal who is ordered to be imprisoned without the option of a fine; and the court may, if they think fit, pending the appeal, defer the operation of the order.
(5) If any person, who under the provisions of this Act is disqualified for obtaining a licence, applies for or obtains a licence while he is so disqualified, or if any person whose licence has been endorsed applies for or obtains a licence without giving particulars of the endorsement, that person shall be guilty of an offence under this Act, and any licence so obtained shall be of no effect.
5 Forgery, &c. of identification mark or licence.
5. If any person forges or fraudulently alters or uses, or fraudulently lends or allows to be used by any other person, any mark for identifying a car or any licence under this Act he shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
6 Duty to stop in case of accident.
6. A person driving a motor car shall, in any case, if an accident occurs to any person, whether on foot, on horseback or in a vehicle, or to any horse or vehicle in charge of any person, owing to the presence of the motor ear on the road, stop and, if required, give his name and address, and also the name and address of the owner and the registration mark or number of the car; and if any person knowingly acts in contravention of this section, he shall be liable, on summary conviction, in respect of the first offence to a fine not exceeding ten pounds, and in respect of the second offence to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds, and in respect of any...
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