Although considered lesser offences than dangerous driving, a conviction for careless driving (driving without due care and attention) or inconsiderate driving can have a serious impact on your life.
It is important to be clear about what the law means by careless driving, and what evidence the courts need.
Careless driving
When the standard of someone’s driving falls below that of a careful and competent driver, then in law they have committed the offence of careless driving. Examples of careless driving could include driving while lighting a cigarette, driving while eating or drinking or while reading a map.
Examples of acts that may come as a result of careless driving include carelessly scraping a car in a car park, hogging the middle or outside lane on the motorway or driving too slowly without good cause. This is not an exhaustive list, and any action likely to take a driver’s full attention away from the driving can be considered careless.
Evidence for these offences may include CCTV and dashcam footage, witness statements from observers of your driving, including police officers and members of the public. Where an actual accident has occurred, forensic specialists can examine skid marks, damage and debris on the vehicles involved and at the site of the accident, to determine what happened and whether your driving was a cause.
Inconsiderate driving
Inconsiderate driving is not the same as careless driving, but is classed under the same offence of driving without due care and attention. To prove inconsiderate driving, the court would need to show that the driving was inconsiderate toward other drivers or pedestrians, and that someone was actually inconvenienced. Alongside the usual evidence indicating a poor standard of driving, there often needs to be a statement from someone who was inconvenienced by that driving.
If you are being investigated for inconsiderate or careless driving, our specialist careless driving solicitors at Auriga Advocates are well equipped to advise you. With our thorough knowledge of the law on motoring offences and many years of experience, we can offer a high level of support to anyone facing prosecution for a road traffic offence. Contact us a soon as possible, so that we can discuss your circumstances and help you defend your licence.