Road traffic offences are treated seriously by the authorities in UK, especially the severe cases which might involve victims and other unwanted consequences. Luckily, our driving offence solicitors have extensive experience in this area and can provide you with complete legal assistance and support in the court of law. Let our motoring solicitors in London offer you the needed assistance in front of the authorities, starting with representation at the police station.
Types of driving offences
A driving offence solicitor in London is at your disposal with complete legal advice in cases of road traffic offences like dangerous driving, careless driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, failing to stop at the scene of the accident, causing death by dangerous driving, or driving a vehicle without insurance within the UK territory. Severe cases that involve victims are extremely serious and need to be treated accordingly. Our driving offence solicitors have a broad experience in defending road traffic offences in UK. It is good to know that our road traffic solicitors in London work in the best interest of their clients, and help people avoid the cases in which the driving license is retained by the police.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Dangerous, careless or inconsiderate driving solicitors |
When the driving falls below the standard of care in a way that would be dangerous, careless or inconsiderate. Examples include overtaking on the inside, driving too close to another vehicle or through a red light by mistake (careless or inconsiderate), racing, overtaking dangerously, ignoring traffic lights or road signs (dangerous). |
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Drink-drive and drug-drive solicitors |
Representation for individuals who were served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) for a driving offence involving driving with excess alcohol levels and/or legal or illegal drugs |
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Driving offences involving death and serious injury |
Legal representation in cases involving fatalities (causing death by dangerous or careless driving or when under the influence of drink or drugs) as well as in case of offences with serious injury (grievous bodily harm) |
| Speeding |
Exceeding the national speed limit for the vehicle class |
| Document offences | Driving without an insurance or without an MOT or driving a vehicle that is not covered by the driver's licence |
| Other offences |
Failure to provide information about the driver at the time of the offence |
| Track record |
Our solicitors have a good track record for defending drivers in court |
| Covered areas | We offer services in England |
| Fees | Our initial appointment can start at £100. We are transparent about our fees and hourly rates. Reach out to us to find out more. |
| Included services | Initial appointment, responding to the NIP, pleading guilty or not guilty to a traffic offence, assistance through the trial. |
| Expected case duration | 6 months |
| Minor driving offences |
– driving without valid license, – minor accidents, – equipment violations, – blocking handicap spaces, etc. |
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Fleeing the scene |
Our driving solicitors do not recommend fleeing the scene as it might worsen the individual’s legal position. |
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Failing to stop and report an accident |
Can result in fines and penalties |
| Failing to provide specimen |
– 6 months imprisonment, – unlimited fine, – driving ban for at least 1 year |
| Using mobile phone while driving |
Prohibited by law, can result in various fines and penalties |
| Speed limit in UK |
– 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways, – 60 mph on single carriageways, – 30 mph in built-up areas |
| Legal aid available (YES/NO) |
NO, only in very exceptional cases |
| Checking driving convictions |
with Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) |
| Single Justice Procedure notice |
Issued for minor offenses, individuals have 21 days to respond. |
| Commercial vehicle offences |
– driving without valid license, – overloading goods, – exceeding driving hours limits, – taxi touting, etc. |
| Spent convictions |
5 years after receiving it for bans lasting less than 5 years; On the date the ban ends for bans longer than 5 years. |
| Reapplying for driving licence |
Depends on the duration of the ban. Our drink driving solicitors can provide more details. |
| Mitigating factors for sentence |
– pleading guilty, – showing genuine remorse, – no previous convictions, – cooperating with authorities, etc. |
| Aggravating factors for sentence |
– previous convictions, – excessive speed, – driving under the influence, – causing injury or death, etc. |
| How can our motoring solicitors help |
– legal advice, – court representation, – gathering evidence, – negotiations, – appealing sentence, etc. |
Legal advice in minor road traffic offences
Our team of driving offence solicitors in London is at the disposal of persons accused of minor driving offences like driving without vehicle insurance, minor accidents, speeding offences or blocking a handicap space. Minor accidents in traffic should not be treated in a superficial manner, and an individual involved in an accident should contact the police and seek legal advice from our driving solicitors immediately. Each case has its particularities, and our team of experts will act in the best interest of the clients by providing the needed legal assistance and defence in front of the authorities. Our driving solicitors in London have a broad experience in traffic offences and can be at your disposal starting with the police station where your rights can be explained. Minor traffic offences ask for complete attention and a specific defence, therefore, do not hesitate to get in touch with our driving offence solicitors. Here is an infographic with extra details:
Defence for common traffic offences
Dangerous driving causing the death of a person or more represents a severe case and comes with a series of consequences, among which, life imprisonment. In case a person is involved in a car accident, the first advice which is given by our driving offence solicitors in London is to stay at the scene of the accident, provide first aid and contact the police as soon as possible. There are cases in which individuals involved in a car accident get scared and they try to run away from the scene, making nothing else but aggravating their position and situation. When found at the scene of the accident, an offender will be asked for the documents and will have to explain the circumstances that led to such an accident. Depending on the case, if it is severe or not, the police officer will commence the necessary actions and explain the rights and the further proceedings in such a situation. We remind that failing to stop at the scene of a car accident is a serious offence which is stipulated by the Road Traffic Act 1988. Let our driving solicitors help you in front of the authorities and provide the needed legal assistance.
If you need notary services in London we can put you in touch with our partners.
Legal advice offered by our driving offence solicitors
Our motoring solicitors deal with numerous cases of individuals accused of varied traffic offences starting with small accidents and ending with the serious one which can involve victims. It is important to know your rights from the very beginning and have an idea about the defence which can be offered by our motoring solicitors in London as soon as they receive your case. Here are a few facts about the defence we can provide you in case of road traffic offences:
- your situation will be comprehensively analyzed, and legal advice will be offered at the police station;
- you are advised to talk to our driving offence solicitor before answering to the police questions;
- complete defence is provided in the court of law by our driving offence solicitor;
- a diligent and comprehensive approach in matters of defence is offered to our clients in case of road traffic offences.
We invite you to watch a short video presented by our solicitors:
Road Traffic Offenders Act presented by our driving offence solicitors
The Road Traffic Offenders Act stipulates all the offences for which a driver can be charged in UK. We know that many road traffic offences are not serious, but this is not a reason not to be charged. A person should know that if a road traffic offence is minor, the prosecution is a necessary thing to discourage these offences and it is also a good method for ensuring public safety. Penalties for road traffic offences depend on the level of severity of the offence and the penalties could be fines, suspension of the driving license, or custody. Below you can see the most serious offences, according to the Road Traffic Offenders Act, and it is good to know that you can receive the proper information related to your case from our driving offence solicitors. These offences are:
- dangerous driving;
- causing death because of dangerous or careless driving with or without consuming alcohol and drug substances. Here we mention the driving without care or attention;
- failing to stop when an accident occurred or running and not reporting an accident;
- driving without a permit or after your license was suspended, based on a medical report;
- driving a car that is not insured;
- driving a car that is not proper for the road.
For individuals who attempt to drive or who are in control of a vehicle, under alcohol influence, there is equally a straight public interest in prosecuting them. Our driving solicitor in London can provide representation if you are involved in a case of road traffic offences. It is your legal right to request to be represented by a defence lawyer.
If you need other legal services in London we can put you in touch with our partners.
Leaving the scene of the accident
According to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, a person can be accused of a crime if he/she committed a traffic accident where people have been injured or died. Furthermore, leaving the scene of the accident instead of waiting for the police to come and inspect the circumstances will weigh much on your case and can lead to a severe verdict, such as 14 years of imprisonment. No matter the case, it is recommended to talk to one of our driving offence solicitors for a better understanding of the law and your rights.
What happens if you have been caught for driving under alcohol influence
Persons accused of driving under alcohol influence can be punished with 6 months sentence and a driving ban in the UK for at least one year. Furthermore, we remind that a conviction for driving under alcohol influence can stop an individual from traveling to particular countries, or work for certain companies, as the conviction is mentioned on the driving license.
The most common road traffic offences
In cases of speeding offences, the police officer or the Magistrates’ Court will enforce a fine and 3 to 6 penalty points on the permit; on the other hand, if your offence includes extreme high speed, then you can receive a driving ban. Quite frequently, a suspect will raise the issue that there were no signs on the highway showing limited speed.
Dangerous driving is a severe crime and brings the risk of custody and our defence solicitors in London can represent and give you proper support during the period you are involved in such case. When a car accident has taken place and both damage and/or individual injury have/has been produced, the driver is advised to remain at the scene of the accident, offer his name and address and also the documents of the vehicle, if required to do so by a police officer or any individual having rational grounds. This is an offence under “Section 170 Road Traffic Act 1988” – to fail to stop at the scene of a car accident – and our team can provide the needed assistance in a case like this. On the other hand, most circumstances implicate minor collisions in car parking and because of this, while the possible consequences can be severe, in many cases, the event is dispensed with a fine and a few penalty points. In this case, the defence used by our teamis that the driver was unaware that an incident had happened.
Drunk driving is a severe offence and brings a compulsory interdiction for at least 12 months. An individual can defend himself in this type of accusation if he can prove to the court that he wouldn’t have driven the car until the alcohol in the body had reduced below the lawful bounds. Being suspected or accused of a road traffic offence is really shocking for a person and can have a big influence on his/her life, so if someone is presently facing a road traffic offence, we can take the pressure off by representing and counseling him/her either at court or at the police station.
Legal support in cases of failure to stop and report an accident
Failing to stop and report an accident in traffic or elsewhere, including parking lots, may end with fines and penalties. A driving ban can be received even for a minor incident that wasn’t reported to the police. Persons who are witnesses to an accident without being part of it and not reporting to the police can be prosecuted according to the rules and regulations in this matter. Whether you have committed a traffic accident and you didn’t stop and reported to the police, or you are a witness in traffic and accused of not reporting an accident, it is best to ask for legal advice from our driving offence solicitors. They have a wide experience in traffic offence cases and can offer legal help in front of the authorities after a complete analysis of your case.
Drinking and driving
Drinking and driving can be a serious road traffic offence in the UK, resulting in being charged a fine, a custodial sentence (a sentence which can consist of custody in prison or another isolated therapeutic and/or educational institution) and the inherent disqualification.
A driving offence solicitor in London can help you avoid the conviction or disqualification. Important aspects have to be considered in defence for such a driving offence, like whether it was you who was, in fact, driving the car, whether you were inside the car however and did not have the intention to drive, the police undertook the appropriate procedure and so on. All these aspects are important to establish whether you were actually guilty, and if you were, we will be on your side to reduce the sentence or fine to the minimum possible.
What are the minor road traffic offences in UK?
Persons accused of minor driving offences can be penalized or can receive a driving ban if the police officer considers that the driver is a threat on the roads. Among the minor road traffic offences in UK, we mention the following:
• speeding offences;
• minor accidents;
• blocking a handicap space;
• driving a car without insurance.
If you have suffered a minor accident in traffic, it is best to not leave the scene and to contact the police immediately, as they will investigate the circumstances.
Not providing the driver’s information
It is a driving offence in the UK not to provide the details on who was driving the car at the time the road traffic unlawful act was committed. This way, a basic speeding fine which would result in only three penalty points could be doubled. There are though certain circumstances to avoid a fine or penalty points for not providing the driver’s information. Our drink drive solicitor can provide more details on what these circumstances can consist of.
Exceeding the legal speed limit
Exceeding the legal speed limit is one of the most common road traffic offences. Even though this type of offence brings the lightest fines and penalties, they still can be a problem when searching for insurance, mainly if you gathered 12 points in three consecutive years. The defence for this type of driving offence often times relies on the fact that not all cameras are correct and appropriately used. Sometimes these devices are not calibrated properly or the operator did not utilize them correctly. In such an event, like in many other situations, an experienced monitoring lawyer defending your case could help you avoid fines, penalties or even prosecution.
We kindly invite you to contact our driving offence solicitors in London and find out more about the defence we can offer in case of road traffic offences.