If you’ve received a charge for careless driving, you’re probably feeling quite worried, upset or even angry. Whilst some people might accept the charge, others might not agree with it and may wish to contest it in court. The charge of careless driving covers a variety of offenses that are considered below the standard expected of a competent driver, and mean that you have driven without care, attention, or consideration for others on the road. If caught careless driving, you could get a fine of £100 and three penalty points on your licence. So, why have you got a charge for careless driving?
You were tailgating
Tailgating is a dangerous habit where a driver gets too close to the car in front. It means that the distance between you and the car in front isn’t safe, and if it was to stop suddenly you wouldn’t have time to react – therefore causing a collision. As tailgating is a very serious offense, you may wish to think about hiring the right accident lawyer.
You were lane hogging
Whilst lane hogging might not seem like a serious offense, it can also be highly dangerous. Lane hogging can cause congestion, as the inside lane is under-used, whilst the others become clogged. This can then lead to traffic jams, delays and collisions. Whilst it might be tempting to lane hog because it makes driving “easier”, it’s important to use the lanes appropriately. Lane hogging can make you lose focus on the road, feel drowsy and become more likely to cause accidents. If you think you might be guilty of lane hogging, it’s probably why you’ve received a charge for careless driving.
You bumped another car
You’ll probably remember bumping another car (unless you do it a lot, in which case you probably shouldn’t be on the road). This most commonly happens whilst parking or reversing, and most people have probably done a “dent and run” at some point in the past. However, bumping another car and driving away is a criminal offense and you might need to pay for the damage.
You didn’t give way at a junction
It’s against the law not to stop at a junction where there is a stop sign or a solid white line, whether there are other cars around or not. This is because these areas have blind spots, and you need to “peep and creep” slowly, so you have a clear line of sight. You also need to be particularly careful around cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders at junctions, ensuring you give them enough space to turn. If you haven’t done this, it may be the reason for your careless driving charge.
You were smoking and driving
Whilst it isn’t illegal to smoke and drive, if you were driving badly and committed any of the above offenses whilst smoking, you could get a charge for careless driving. This falls into rule 148 of the Highway Code as a distraction whilst driving. If you’re focussing on smoking, you probably don’t have both hands on the wheel and may not be paying due attention to the road. It’s also illegal to smoke in a car with children.
