Sri Lanka, March 16 -- The Sri Lanka Police issued a public clarification regarding the specific legal provisions that grant officers the authority to stop motor vehicles and request documentation from drivers.

According to the police, the primary authority for stopping a vehicle is derived from Section 162 of the Motor Traffic Act. This section explicitly states that every driver must obey all oral directions or hand signals given by a police officer in the uniform and execution of their duty. This includes orders to stop, reverse, slow down, or move to a specific side of the road to maintain the flow of traffic.

Addressing a common myth, the police clarified that any officer in uniform has the power to stop a vehicle, not just those ...