If you are in a public place, a police officer can enter and search your vehicle without a warrant. This can happen if the officer has a good reason to think your vehicle has something in it that is evidence of a serious crime. The crime must be one that could result in a prison sentence of 14 years or more, or a crime like planning a terrorist act under section 6B(1) of the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.

You should know that the police officer must have reasonable grounds to believe that evidential material is in or on your vehicle. The officer can only do this if your vehicle is in a public place. The police officer is looking for evidence of a serious crime.

The police can search your vehicle to find this evidence, but only if they think the vehicle has something to do with a serious crime like the ones mentioned. This means the police can look inside your vehicle to see if they can find any evidence. The police are trying to find evidence of a crime that could result in a long prison sentence.