Road Traffic Ordinance 2026

1. Short title and commencement

This Ordinance may be cited as the Road Traffic Ordinance 2026 and comes into force on the day appointed by notice in the Gazette.

2. Interpretation

In this Ordinance:

"accident" means an event on a road involving a motor vehicle in which a person is injured, or another vehicle or any property is damaged;

"disqualified" means disqualified from driving on Coral Island by order of a court under this Ordinance;

"drive" includes to be in control of a motor vehicle, and "driver" has a corresponding meaning;

"emergency vehicle" means a vehicle of the Coral Island Police Service, the Fire and Rescue Service, the Island Health Clinic or the Coral Island Defence Force, used for an emergency or operational purpose;

"motor vehicle" means a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads, including a motorcycle;

"officer" means a police officer;

"the prescribed limit" means a concentration of alcohol in the blood of 0.05 per cent (50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood);

"road" means any road, track or way to which the public has access, including car parks and the access road to Coral Island Airfield;

"the standard scale" means the standard scale of fines in section 14 of the Criminal Code Ordinance 2026;

"traffic sign" means a sign, signal or road marking placed by or with the authority of the Government to regulate traffic.

3. Driving licences

(1) A person must not drive a motor vehicle on a road unless they hold a valid driving licence for that class of vehicle issued by the Los Santos authorities or by the authorities of any other state.

(2) Coral Island does not issue driving licences. A driving licence issued elsewhere is recognised on Coral Island while it remains valid where it was issued, unless the holder is disqualified under this Ordinance.

(3) An officer may require a driver to produce their driving licence.

(4) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

4. Keeping to the right

(1) A driver must keep to the right-hand side of the road, except when overtaking or when directed otherwise by an officer or a traffic sign.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

5. Speed limits

(1) A person must not drive a motor vehicle on a road at a speed exceeding:
(a) 50 kilometres an hour in Puerto Coral and at Coral Island Airfield;
(b) 80 kilometres an hour on any other road; or
(c) any other limit shown by a traffic sign for that road.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to the driver of an emergency vehicle on duty where observing the limit would be likely to hinder the purpose for which the vehicle is being used, if the vehicle is driven with due care.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(4) The offence may be dealt with by penalty notice under the Penalty Notices Regulations 2026.

6. Dangerous driving

(1) A person drives dangerously if the way they drive falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver, and it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in that way would be dangerous.

(2) A person who drives a motor vehicle dangerously on a road commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 7 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for 6 months, or to both; or on conviction on indictment to a fine, or to imprisonment for 2 years, or to both.

(3) The court must order a person convicted under this section to be disqualified for at least 30 days, unless for special reasons it orders a shorter period or no disqualification.

7. Causing death by dangerous driving

(1) A person who causes the death of another person by driving a motor vehicle dangerously on a road commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine, or to imprisonment for 14 years, or to both.

(2) Section 6(1) applies to decide whether a person drove dangerously.

(3) The court must order a person convicted under this section to be disqualified for at least 1 year.

(4) Where a vehicle is used deliberately to kill or injure, the offences against the person in Part 4 of the Criminal Code Ordinance 2026 apply.

8. Careless driving

A person who drives a motor vehicle on a road without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other people using the road, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

9. Driving under the influence

(1) A person must not drive or attempt to drive a motor vehicle on a road:
(a) with a concentration of alcohol in their blood above the prescribed limit; or
(b) while unfit to drive through drink or drugs.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 6 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for 6 months, or to both.

(3) The court must order a person convicted under this section to be disqualified for at least 30 days, unless for special reasons it orders otherwise.

10. Breath tests

(1) An officer may require a person to provide a specimen of breath for a preliminary test where the officer reasonably suspects that the person:
(a) is driving, or has driven, with alcohol in their body;
(b) was the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident; or
(c) has committed a traffic offence while driving.

(2) Where the test indicates that the person is likely to be over the prescribed limit, or the officer reasonably suspects that they are unfit to drive through drink or drugs, the officer may arrest them and require a further specimen of breath or blood for analysis at the Police station, Puerto Coral, or the Island Health Clinic.

(3) A person who fails without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen when required under this section commits an offence and is liable to the same penalty, and the same disqualification, as for an offence under section 9.

11. Racing on roads

(1) A person must not take part in, promote or organise a race or trial of speed between motor vehicles on a road.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a race held under an event permit granted under the Public Order and Events Ordinance 2026 on a road closed for the purpose.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 6 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for 3 months, or to both. The court may also order the person to be disqualified.

12. Vehicles off the road

(1) A person must not drive a motor vehicle:
(a) on a beach;
(b) in the Salt Pond Wildlife Reserve; or
(c) on any other land that is not a road, without the permission of its owner or occupier.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an emergency vehicle, to a vehicle of the Government used for official purposes, or to a vehicle launching or recovering a vessel at a slipway by the shortest route.

(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

13. Accidents

(1) The driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident on a road must:
(a) stop;
(b) give their name and address, and the name of the owner of the vehicle, to anyone with reasonable grounds for asking;
(c) give such help to anyone injured as is reasonable, including calling the emergency services; and
(d) report the accident to the Police Service as soon as practicable and in any event within 24 hours, unless an officer attended.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for 3 months, or to both.

14. Directions and signals of officers

(1) A driver must obey the directions of an officer in uniform who is regulating traffic, and every traffic sign.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

(3) Failing to stop a vehicle when required by an officer in uniform is an offence under section 21 of the Police Service Ordinance 2026.

15. Removal of vehicles

(1) An officer may remove, or arrange the removal of, a vehicle that:
(a) is left on a road in a position or condition likely to cause danger or obstruction;
(b) is left in breach of this Ordinance or of a traffic sign;
(c) appears to have been abandoned; or
(d) is needed as evidence.

(2) A vehicle removed is kept safely and returned to its owner on proof of ownership, unless it is needed as evidence or a court orders otherwise.

16. Disqualification

(1) A court that convicts a person of an offence under this Ordinance, or of any offence committed with a motor vehicle, may order that they be disqualified from driving on Coral Island for a stated period.

(2) A disqualification has effect on Coral Island whatever driving licence the person holds elsewhere.

(3) A person who drives a motor vehicle on a road while disqualified commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 6 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for 6 months, or to both.

17. Regulations

The Minister responsible for public safety may make regulations for carrying this Ordinance into effect, including regulations about traffic signs, parking, the carriage of passengers and the analysis of specimens. Regulations are published as legal notices.