Police stopping drivers.?

Question

In England and Wales,do you have to be committing a Motoring Offence for the Police to stop you and check your documents,or can they just do so at random when they please?

Answer 1

They can stop any motor vehicle to check the drivers documents and that the car is roadworthy. In reality that means they can stop vehicles at random.

Answer 2

Police can stop any driver at any time and when they feel like it, check your insurance papers and see if the car is tax'd etc

Answer 3

I'm from england you you get stopped whenever you do something wrong

Answer 4

The police are empowered to stop any motor vehicle on the road. They are not required to suspect that an offence has been committed.

When pulled over by the police, you may be asked to produce documents including:

driving licence

insurance certificate

vehicle registration document

If you don’t have these with you, you’ll be given seven days to produce them at a police station

Answer 5

I believe they could stop you whenever they want.

Answer 6

No you don't need to be committing an offence.

A police officer can stop you and request to see your licence and other driving documents at any time. It is a condition upon which you drive on public roads.

Answer 7

The police can stop you at will and do....i had a bus once, that looked kinda different to anything else on the road....and i was stopped frequently, by police, and searched.  The police do just about what they want....in this wonderful democracy (fascist bloody police state) that we live in.....xx

Answer 8

I think it's the other way round - they used to need a reason, they can now stop anyone at any time as a 'routine check'

Answer 9

yes they can randomly stop drivers if they have cause or are suspicious of the driver or vehicle

Answer 10

no you dont the police can stop you under the stop and search laws under the anti terrorism act

also they can stop you if they think your not the driver

see if your drunk

under influence of drugs

dvla checks

tire checks

etc etc etc

Answer 11

You can be stopped for a routine check.

This when the Police Officer feels it warrants the stop.

In other words, if you are 50 year old with never a driving offence, tea total, never taken drugs not even prescription and driving just under the speed limit; you are obviously suss and hiding something so must be stopped.

However, if you are driving a lightening blue subaru at 90 mph in a 30 limit with extra blacked out windows and driving whilst high on spliff and 3 times over with no tax,insurance or even a driving licence, you will not be stopped.

It helps even more if your licence plate is written in Arabic.      

Answer 12

probable cuase my freind.

Answer 13

I do not consider myself one of those very good drivers!And  I have been driving for nearly 50years and in all that time I have only been stopped once!That was at a check point and the police were looking for a missing child!

Answer 14

You must have commited an offence, or if your vehicle appears to be unroadworthy they can pull u over. They may also pull you if someone has reported you for drink driving etc.

Answer 15

They can stop you on the basis of any suspicion. So in practice they can stop you anytime they want to.

Answer 16

You do not have to be commiting an offence as they can stop you on a number of things.

Suspected Drink Driving is an example.

They just have to suspect that somthing is wrong to pull you over

Answer 17

only if you have committed a crime then you can get pulled by the cops.