January 08, 2026 | Roads Policing and Safety Cameras , Traffic Offences
Request Number: FOI/16552
Category: Roads Policing and Safety Cameras - Traffic Offences
Subject: Battery powered toy car
Request and Answer:
Request
Is it legal to let a toddler or young child ride their battery powered toy car in a public park?
Answer
Your request for information has now been considered. Your request does not constitute a valid request under Freedom Information Act 2000, as it seeks clarification and advice rather than recorded information held by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Act does not require a public authority to provide legal advice, opinion, or interpretation, nor to create new information.
Section 84 of FOIA relates to recorded information held by a public authority and that it does not extend to providing explanations unless the answers are already held in a recorded form.
"Information is defined in section 84 of the Act as 'information recorded in any form'. The Act therefore only extends to requests for recorded information. It does not require public authorities (in this case the PSNI) to answer questions generally; only if they already hold the answers in recorded form. The Act does not extend to requests for information about policies or their implementation, or the merits or demerits of any proposal or action - unless, of course, the answer to any such request is already held in recorded form." (Day vs ICO & DWP – EA/2006/0069 Final Decision)