Under S4 PACE road checks, which categories may be present?

• A. a person who witnesses an offence, someone intending to commit an offence, a person at large, or a person who has committed an indictable offence other than a road offence
• B. a person who is carrying a violation of license
• C. a person who is from overseas
• D. a person who has no insurance

Answer: (A)

S4 road checks are about the scope of people who may be involved or connected to offences at a checkpoint, not just those committing traffic violations. The best answer captures four broad categories that officers might encounter: a witness to an offence who can provide information, someone who is intending to commit an offence and could be prevented, a person at large who is sought or believed to be involved, and a person who has committed an indictable offence other than a road offence. This broad set reflects the aim of road checks to identify and address potential crime by engaging with people connected to it, rather than focusing on narrow, single-issue statuses. The other scenarios describe specific, narrower circumstances (license issues, being from overseas, or having no insurance) that aren’t the defining group officers are targeting under this power.