Road Traffic and Motoring Offences
Any competent road user in England or Wales could find their standard of driving is subject to investigation and scrutinised. Here at Jeremy Gordon, we understand that being caught up in road traffic investigation or facing an allegation can trigger enormous distress and anxiety, whether it be a Notice of Intended Prosecution or a criminal charge for alleged conduct is a serious road collision.
The loss of, or restrictions on our freedom to drive can have enormous financial, personal and/or business life implications and it is vital that obtaining timely legal advice following an incident can often increase the likelihood of a positive outcome or avoid a driving ban and we are here to help with our experience and expertise.
We have experience in dealing with the full spectrum of road traffic offences, for example:
This is the less serious offence and applies when your driving falls below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver. It can also involve driving without reasonable consideration for other road users. Examples include driving too close to another vehicle, swerving across lanes, or accidentally running a red light.
This is a more serious offence and occurs when your driving falls far below the expected standard and creates a situation where serious injury or damage is a possibility or occurred. Examples include racing, overtaking dangerously, and can be aggravated by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
This is the most serious offence and applies when the driver’s actions were significantly below the expected standard and caused someone’s death.
This offence applies when the driver’s actions fell below the expected standard but not to the same serious extent as dangerous driving. It still resulted in someone’s death.
This is where the driver’s actions were dangerously below the expected standard and caused serious injury to another person.
This is the least serious offence and applies where the driver’s actions were careless or inconsiderate, but not dangerous, and caused serious injury.
In the UK, failing to identify the driver of a vehicle when you receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) is a separate offence from the original traffic offence under investigation.
Speeding is straightforward. It is often prosecuted following a camera capture, or sometimes by police.
Driving a motor vehicle on a road or public place without valid third-party insurance (minimum requirement). This applies even if the vehicle itself is insured, but you are not covered to drive it, or the insurance is invalidated through some other cause such as no licence.
You must stop your vehicle after damage or injury is caused and exchange details with anyone who has reasonable grounds for requiring them (e.g., the other driver).
If you don’t exchange details at the scene and when injury or damage is caused, you must report the accident to the police “as soon as reasonably practicable” and within 24 hours.
In the UK, it’s illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving or supervising a learner. This applies to any vehicle on the road and covers any interactive function on the phone, not just calls. The offence is considered a summary offence, meaning it’s dealt with in a Magistrates’ court without a jury.
This applies if your blood alcohol level is above the legal limit (35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) but you aren’t proven to be unfit to drive.
In the UK, failing to provide a breath, blood, or urine sample for analysis when requested by the police after driving or attempting to drive is a serious offence. This applies even if you weren’t proven to be drink-driving.
Driving while disqualified is a serious offence that can be punished with a fine, imprisonment, and a further extension of your disqualification period. If you’re caught driving with a revoked licence, you’ll likely face a magistrates’ court hearing and potential penalties that depend on the severity of the case.
In England and Wales, the justice system has a system called “totting up” to track penalty points that accumulate on your licence for traffic offences.
Jeremy Gordon’s reputation for proactivity and meaningful engagement with investigation and prosecution authorities is paramount when working for the best possible outcome for our clients. Early advice and engagement often result in early discontinuance of proceedings, the discovery of procedural errors or flaws etc, even for the most minor of traffic offences. From early-stage notices to court proceedings and appeals, our advice and support covers the entire range of offences and procedural stages of a matter. We would be happy to discuss any issues that you might be facing and discuss likely costs with you.
“I would like to say the service from Anthony was excellent. Whilst I see people, including my co-defendants getting frustrated with their legal team (ie. not being able to contact them and not getting questions answered), I have had a great service and was always satisfied from start to finish.”
“Kim’s always gone the extra distance in times of need and always been ever so easy to talk especially in times of stress. Kim’s very thorough and diligent in her work who’s judgement and opinion I’ll always trust. Kim’s always been readily available and if not - very prompt in getting back to me. I’ve recommended Kim to friends over the years and they’ve always thanked me in doing so as she’s provided them with the same level of care and attention. It’s been very reassuring having Kim in my corner.”
