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Traffic Act 1987
3Interpretation
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3 Interpretation
(1) In this Act:
ambulance means a vehicle specifically constructed or modified for
the purpose of conveying persons to a place of medical treatment
while being used for that purpose or while travelling to a place for
that purpose.
authorised analyst means a person, Agency, administrative unit or
entity authorised under section 19C to be an analyst.
bicycle means any of the following:
(a) a 2 or 3 wheeled vehicle with pedals designed to be propelled
by human power;
(b) a 2 or 3 wheeled vehicle with pedals designed to be propelled
by an engine, motor or other device with a power output not
exceeding 200 W;
(c) a bicycle that meets European product safety standard
EN 15194, published in 2009 and amended in 2011, entitled
Cycles - Electrically power assisted cycles - EPAC bicycle.
Traffic Act 1987 2
blood test means a test of a sample of a person's blood carried out
for the purpose of ascertaining the concentration of alcohol or the
presence of another drug or substance in that person's blood.
breath analysis means an analysis of a sample of a person's
breath carried out for the purpose of assessing the concentration of
alcohol in that person's breath.
breath test means a test of a sample of a person's breath to
assess:
(a) whether there is alcohol present in the person's breath; and
(b) if alcohol is present, the concentration of alcohol in the
person's breath.
carriageway means a portion of a public street improved, designed
or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic and includes the shoulders
and areas at the side or centre of the carriageway used for the
standing or parking of vehicles including parking bays, and, where a
public street has 2 or more portions divided by a reservation,
means each portion separately.
child means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years.
Commissioner means the Commissioner appointed under the
Police Administration Act 1978.
competent authority, in relation to a public street or public place,
means the person, body or authority (which shall include the
Territory) having the care, control and management of that street or
place.
control area means an area declared under, or continued in force
by, section 11 as a control area.
Deputy Director means the Deputy Director of Transport appointed
under section 6(2).
Director means the Director of Transport appointed under
section 6(1).
driver means a person driving, riding or in control of a vehicle.
emergency vehicle means a motor vehicle which is:
(a) the property of the Territory and in the control of the Police
Force of the Northern Territory;
Traffic Act 1987 3
(b) the property of the Territory and in the control of the Northern
Territory Fire and Rescue Service;
(c) an ambulance; or
(d) authorized as an emergency vehicle by the Registrar,
and which is sounding a siren, bell or repeater horn or flashing the
prescribed lights.
footway includes a footpath, lane or other place intended
exclusively for use by pedestrians and, except where bicycle use is
expressly prohibited, by persons riding bicycles.
health centre means a health centre within the meaning of the
Medical Services Act 1982.
hospital means a hospital declared under section 6(2) of the
Medical Services Act 1982.
inspector means an inspector appointed under section 9.
intersection means a place where 2 or more public streets
intersect or join and includes any area where vehicles travelling on
different joining or intersecting public streets may collide.
lane line means a line marked on a carriageway to separate
vehicles travelling in the same direction on the carriageway.
learner's licence means a licence granted under section 9 of the
Motor Vehicles Act 1949.
licence means a licence to drive a motor vehicle granted under the
Motor Vehicles Act 1949.
motor cycle means a motor vehicle which has 2 wheels or, where
a side car is attached to the vehicle, has 3 wheels.
motor vehicle, see section 5(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act 1949.
officer means an officer appointed under section 9.
pedestrian means a person on foot, on or in a toy vehicle, in a
perambulator, or in a wheelchair which is not capable of travelling
at a speed greater than 10 km/h.
PPS Act means the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth).
PPS Register means the Personal Property Securities Register
established under section 147 of the PPS Act.
Traffic Act 1987 4
prescribed breath analysis instrument means a device
prescribed under section 29AAW for the carrying out of breath
analyses.
prohibited drug, for Part V, see section 19A.
public place means a place (other than a public street) open to or
used by the public or to which the public is permitted to have
access whether on payment of a fee or otherwise, but does not
include a track in an enclosed area used for motor vehicle or
bicycle racing or speed trials.
public street means a street, road, lane, thoroughfare, footpath or
place open to, or used by, the public and includes a road on land
leased under the Special Purposes Leases Act 1953 for use as a
road, but does not include:
(a) a road, or part of a road, which is closed under the Control of
Roads Act 1953 or the Local Government Act 2019; or
(b) a street, road, lane, thoroughfare, footpath or other place
under construction,
and not open to or used by the public.
qualified person means a person who has been trained to take
samples of blood from persons by a registered training organisation
(as defined in section 3 of the National Vocational Education and
Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth)).
registered, in relation to a motor vehicle, means registered under
registered nurse means a person registered under the Health
Practitioner Regulation National Law:
(a) to practise in the nursing profession (other than as a student);
and
(b) in the registered nurses division of that profession.
Registrar means the Registrar of Motor Vehicles appointed under
reservation means a physical provision, including markings, made
on a public street to divide it longitudinally and includes a nature
strip adjoining a footway, but does not include a separation line or a
lane line which is the only line between 2 adjoining traffic lanes.
Traffic Act 1987 5
resident of the Territory means a person who has resided
continuously in the Territory for not less than 3 months.
saliva test, for Part V, see section 19(1).
separation line means a line marked on a carriageway to separate
vehicles travelling in opposite directions on the carriageway.
solution of standard alcohol means a solution consisting of ethyl
alcohol and distilled water in the proportion of 3.36 g of ethyl
alcohol per litre of solution.
this Act includes the Regulations.
traffic control device means a traffic control signal or a light, sign,
mark, structure or item placed, erected or displayed for the purpose
of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.
traffic control signal means a device using a word, symbol,
coloured light or a combination of them by means of which traffic
may be controlled or regulated.
traffic infringement detection device means a device approved
under section 44(1) as a traffic infringement detection device.
traffic island means a physical provision, including marking, made
on a public street to guide traffic on the street, but does not include
a traffic control device.
trailer means a vehicle without motive power constructed or
adapted to be drawn by a motor vehicle.
vehicle means a conveyance or other device designed to be
propelled or drawn by any means and includes a bicycle or an
animal being driven or ridden, but does not include a train, or a
wheelchair which is not capable of travelling at a speed greater
than 10 km/h.
visiting motor vehicle means a motor vehicle which:
(a) is registered in another country or in a State or in another
Territory of the Commonwealth;
(b) has affixed to it the current registration label and number
plates required to be affixed by the law of that country, State,
or other Territory; and
(c) is temporarily in the Territory.
Traffic Act 1987 6
young person means a person who has attained the age of
8 years but has not attained the age of 14 years.
Note for subsection (1)
The Interpretation Act 1978 contains definitions and other provisions that may be
relevant to this Act.
(2) In this Act, a reference to the owner of a motor vehicle includes a
reference to the operator (within the meaning of the Motor Vehicles
Act 1949) of the vehicle where an operator is nominated under
section 92A of that Act.
(3) In this Act, a reference to a person licensed to drive a motor vehicle
is a reference to that person being licensed to drive a vehicle of a
class permitted to be driven in accordance with that person's
licence.
(5) In this Act:
demerit points means the points incurred by a natural person in
relation to a demerit points offence.
demerit points offence means an offence specified in Schedule 1
to the Traffic Regulations 1999 for which demerit points are
prescribed.
Note
The administration of the demerit points scheme is under the Motor Vehicles