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Dangerous Driving Offences: Careless Driving Charge

Being handed a Careless Driving Charge can be troubling to any motorist. Please note that careless driving can range in its seriousness, but in the most serious cases can lead to further motoring charges, the most serious being causing death by careless driving.

For such cases, it would be of great help to seek legal assistance from specialist solicitors. Motorists across the UK can speak to Caddick Davies Solicitors about such offences. Our highly qualified lawyers deal exclusively in motoring offences. We provide the best possible defences for those charged with a careless driving offence.

Should your standard of driving fall below what would be considered ‘a competent and careful driver’ it may be regarded as a careless driving offence. Some common examples include:

  • Tailgating (driving inappropriately close to the vehicle in front)
  • Middle Lane hogging
  • Undertaking (overtaking on the inside)
  • Emerging from a side road into the path of another vehicle
  • Colliding with another vehicle where a driver is at fault
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What are the penalties for Careless Driving?

Doing any of the above could lead to careless driving penalties. You could end up paying up a fine of up to £5,000 and/or get a discretionary disqualification. This can happen if you get summoned to the Magistrates Court. The careless driving points you could end up having on your licence for this offence range between 3 to 9.

Sometimes the police may give you a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) instead of a formal prosecution. This is usually a less severe penalty for offenders, as they are required to pay just £100 fine and get an endorsement of 3 penalty points on their licence.

For either case, whether it is the issuance of an FPN, or being summoned to appear before the Magistrates’ Court, do not hesitate contact Caddick Davies Solicitors. Our very knowledgeable experts will offer sound legal advice and no obligation consultation for free.

"I was found Not Guilty - I would recommend Caddick Davies to anyone faced with a motoring charge."

What are the defences to Careless Driving?

If we decide to take your case and represent you, we will develop the best possible defence. Caddick Davies is well acquitted with the motoring law and offences in this field. Our lawyers will inform you of any careless driving offence which is considered a “strict liability” one.

This means that you are regarded as an offender even if you had no intention of the events being charged. In spite of this, we still have available defences, commonly involving a factual dispute. These defences include:

  • My driving was not careless (It didn’t fall below the expected standards of a “competent and careful” driver)
  • My vehicle was subject to a mechanical defect of which I was unaware
  • It is a case of mistaken identity (It wasn’t my vehicle/ I was not the driver)

Please note, we are very experienced in our field of expertise and can utilise even very technical defences in unusual cases. Some offences may be due to an involuntary act such as the driver falling unconscious due to a previously unknown medical condition. This is another defence we may be able to demonstrate.

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How do I find expert legal help with my Careless Driving charge?

For the proper utilising of a defence, a lot is determined by the quality of any legal assistance, advice, and representation you are getting. Caddick Davies Solicitors are the ideal team of lawyers to engage. Our expert motoring solicitors are very experienced and are highly regarded in courts across the country.

We have an outstanding reputation for offering our excellent legal assistance to motorists facing the charge of careless driving. Caddick Davies Solicitors have been providing reliable legal assistance across the UK. We have our experts available in motoring courts throughout England and Wales.

We are highly qualified and knowledgeable in motoring law and related offences. and offer highly competitive legal rates. We are also experienced in demonstrating mitigating circumstances in cases of careless driving penalties.

Please take a look at testimonials we have on our website. They show the many cases we have handled and enabled our clients to receive favourable outcomes. Contact us at Caddick Davies for reliable legal advice or representation if you get a careless driving charge. You can call us on 0151 280 3346, email us or request us a callback. We have dedicated dangerous driving solicitors who will respond swiftly. We will offer an initial no-obligation consultation for free in order to look at your case and give an honest appraisal.

Commonly Asked Questions About Careless Driving

Through the thorough preparation of your case we will put a strong argument before the court that the standard of your driving has not fallen below that of a careful and competent driver. We will take detailed statements from both yourself and any other witness who may assist your case and trace any witness who is not known to you. Where appropriate we will instruct an expert to attend the scene of the alleged offence and prepare a report in support of your case.

If you find yourself with a Fixed Penalty or Summonsed to appear before the Magistrates’ Court for Careless Driving, please contact us for advice and a no obligation consultation on how we can help you.

In some cases the police may immediately offer you the opportunity to attend on a nationally approved driver improvement course in the alternative to prosecution. If you complete the course, no formal action will be take against you and you will not receive any points on your licence.

The course typically costs between £85 and £120 and lasts for 1 1/2 days.

If you reject the offer to attend on the course you can still challenge the prosecution against you before the court.

If the police have not offered you the chance to attend on a driver improvement course and have moved straight to prosecution and you want the opportunity to attend on a course, we can make representations to the prosecution that you should be allowed to attend on a driver improvement course. If the prosecution and the police agree to this, the case against you will be dropped once you have completed the course and you will receive no penalty points. You may even be eligible for a Defendant Costs Order so that we can recover the costs of your legal representation.

If you find yourself with a Fixed Penalty or Summonsed to appear before the Magistrates’ Court for Careless Driving, please contact us for advice and a no obligation consultation on how we can help you.

If the driving alleged to be careless was caused by a defect in your vehicle which was unknown to you and you could not have identified with reasonable prudence, you should be acquitted of the offence. To prove your innocence we will thoroughly prepare your case and instruct an expert vehicle examiner to inspect your vehicle and to present supporting evidence before the court. We will put the strongest possible defence to the court on your behalf.

If you find yourself with a Fixed Penalty or Summonsed to appear before the Magistrates’ Court for Careless Driving, please contact us for advice and a no obligation consultation on how we can help you.

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