Careless driving charges are subject to interpretation by the police and court, so it’s best to have an expert on hand.
Careless driving can be a complicated subject, as much of it is up to the interpretation of the police and the court. Working with a specialist driving offences solicitor can help you mitigate penalties.
FAQs
Careless driving is the act of driving below the expected standards of a competent driver. It is described as driving without ‘due care and attention.’
Some examples of careless driving include:
This is a non-exhaustive list and any offence is up to the interpretation of the court; any driving issue deemed as inconsiderate towards others can apply to careless driving.
The court ultimately determines what they deem as careless driving, as the scenario differs from driver to driver.
Dangerous driving is the act of driving in a way that can be seen as unsafe. Whilst careless driving falls just under the expected standards of a competent driver, dangerous driving falls way below these standards.
Some examples of dangerous driving include:
Dangerous driving is met with harsher penalties than careless driving, as it tends to risk the lives of others much more often. Moreover, a single instance of careless driving is likely to be accidental, whilst dangerous driving is usually predetermined by the driver.
The length of a dangerous driving case depends on the severity of the offence and the choice of plea. A guilty plea can take an average of 4 months, whilst a no guilty plea can range anywhere from 5 to 12 months.
The penalties for careless driving are usually not very severe; for minor cases, the police will only issue you a warning. However, severe or recurring instances can lead to long-lasting effects on your license and ability to drive. For a conviction, you could be facing:
Causing death by careless driving is the act of causing death through driving carelessly or inconsiderately and is considered a separate offence.
Below are some examples to help differentiate between causing death while driving carelessly versus driving dangerously:
Penalties for this can ramp up to an unlimited fine and up to 5 years in prison.
Our costs for all driving offence cases depend entirely on the scenario. For a full breakdown of our fees and work, visit our driving offences page.
Whilst a careless driving offence is not as severe as a dangerous driving matter, we recommend getting in touch with an issue if you’re unsure about your legal standpoint. At Britton and Time, we can ensure that our careless driving solicitors will give you:
We are currently unable to offer legal aid in any capacity as we lack the necessary legal aid certificate. We also don’t offer pro bono work at present.
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