Dangerous Driving
Dangerous Driving Specialists
If you have been charged with dangerous driving or death by dangerous driving, it is vital to hire a specialist solicitor as soon as possible to start working on your defence. They are both extremely serious offences and both carry considerable prison sentences.
There may be a reason why you were driving in this way. For example, you may have had a reaction to prescription drugs which contributed to the way you were driving.
For the best legal advice at the best price, please click on the “Get me a Quote” button below to compare the prices and services of a wide range of lawyers who are experts in this field. Your chosen solicitor can then argue your case in a Magistrates Court and guide you in your choice of Barrister if the case goes to Crown Court. Their help could prove invaluable.
Dangerous driving is defined as driving in a manner which falls FAR below that of a competent driver and driving in such a way that it would be obvious to a competent driver that there is a serious risk of personal injury or serious damage to property.
The maximum punishment is 2 years imprisonment, but for causing death by dangerous driving, this can be as high as 14 years imprisonment. For dangerous driving cases dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court, the maximum term of imprisonment is 6 months but the Magistrates do have the option to refer the case to the Crown Court for sentencing, if they feel that 6 months is an inadequate punishment.
Conviction for either offence will result in an immediate ban. The current minimums are 2 years for death by dangerous driving and 1 year for dangerous driving. For both offences, there is also an obligation to take a further driving test.
If you have been cautioned for such an offence, it is advisable to seek expert advice from a specialist motoring lawyer long before the charge is issued. Proper representation at a Police interview can make a significant difference – instead of the prosecution proceeding, it could be abandoned altogether or replaced by a lesser offence, removed the risk of imprisonment.
There is an increasing trend to punish excessive speeding offences through bringing a charge of dangerous driving. This is partially as a result of less tolerance for speed and also the fact that cars and motorbikes are becoming increasingly faster. The Police will attempt to show that at speeds far in excess of the limit, there is a high risk of damage/injury and thus the offence amounts to dangerous driving. Each case depends on its particular circumstances and what may have been too fast is not necessarily dangerous, if for example, the vehicle was under control. Expert representation again can be the difference between a successful defence or the risk of conviction.
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