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Driving Offences – what happens next?

If you’ve been caught committing a driving offence then you are going to need representation to help get the best possible outcome for you, and that means a specialised driving solicitor.
A conviction for a motoring offence could lead to a fine, points on your licence or even a ban, or in the worst cases imprisonment, so you want to make sure you are properly represented. A driving offence solicitor can help you limit the impact that any penalties could have on your life, whether that is minimising the financial impact or the disruption to your life that could follow from a ban.

Fines, penalty points, and bans can impact not on your future motor insurance costs but a temporary loss of your licence could in some cases mean the loss of your job, which could cause you and your family significant hardship. That is why it is important to seek the services of a driving defence solicitor when you first become aware that you’ve been charged with driving offence.

The first step after getting a notification is not to panic. You may think that your situation is hopeless and you’ll just have to take the punishment that comes your way, but some help and expert advice from one of the specialist driving offence solicitors at Caddick Davies could get you a much better outcome than you had anticipated.

When defending a driving offence charge, there is no substitute for high quality advice and legal representation. At Caddick Davies, we are specialist driving offence lawyers, so we have seen pretty much every situation before and therefore know the best approach to take to secure you a good result.

We have represented thousands of clients in England and Wales who have been charged with driving offences. The experience and expertise of our driving offence lawyers means that we can help devise the best legal strategy for any client we represent.

 

We offer guidance and representation in a number of key areas of motoring law including: 

As in all areas of law, we believe that everyone has the right to high quality representation, and motoring offences are no different. Whether you are contesting a speeding offence, a drink driving charge or a dangerous driving offence, we know that you need the best possible representation.

Our driving defence lawyers make sure that your side of the story plus any mitigation is expertly presented. The quality of the driving offence solicitor has a major bearing on the outcome for your case, and by trusting Caddick Davies you can have the confidence you are in the best possible hands. 

When you first contact us, we will put you in contact with the driving offence solicitor best suited to handle your case. Each and every one of our motoring legal team is highly skilled across a range of driving offences so will be able to offer you the best possible representation.

 

Why Caddick Davies?

There are a number of factors which make Caddick Davies the ideal option for anyone facing a motoring charge in England or Wales:

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We have a highly-effective track record in defending motoring charges, leading to no penalties, or considerably reduced penalties, being imposed on our clients.

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Penalty point endorsements for driving offences

A conviction for a driving offence could lead not only to a fine but also see the driver’s licence endorsed with penalty points. 

  • Penalty points are given on a scale from 1 to 11, with more points given the more serious the offence.
  • Penalty points stay on your driving record for 4 or 11 years, depending on the type of offence.
  • You can be disqualified from driving if you total up 12 or more penalty points within a 3-year period. 
  • The rules for disqualification are different if you are classed as a ‘new driver’, with new driver status applying for 2 years from the date of passing your test.

 

The table below shows some of the penalty points awarded for some common driving offences. If convicted, our driving defence lawyers will do their best to mitigate on your behalf to ensure that the penalty you receive is at the lower end of the scale. 

Category  Offence  Penalty Points  Length of time on record 
Accident  Failing to stop after an accident  5 to 10 points  4 years 
  Failing to give particulars or report an accident within 24 hours  5 to 10 points  4 years 
Disqualified driver  Driving while disqualified  6 points  4 years 
  Attempting to drive while disqualified  6 points   4 years 
  Causing death by driving while disqualified  3 to 11 points  4 years 
Careless driving  Driving without due care and attention  3 to 9 points  4 years 
  Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users  3 to 9 points  4 years 
Reckless/dangerous driving  Causing serious injury by dangerous driving  3 to 11 points  4 years 
  Dangerous driving  3 to 11 points  4 years 
  Causing death by dangerous driving  3 to 11 points  4 years 
Drink  Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit  3 to 11 points   11 years 
  Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink  3 to 11 points   11 years 
  In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit  10 points  4 years 
Drugs  Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit  3 to 11 points  11 years 
  In charge of a vehicle while drug level above specified limit  10 points  4 years 
Insurance  Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks  6 to 8 points  4 years 
Licence   Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence  3 to 6 points  4 years 
Miscellaneous  Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc  6 points  4 years 
Speed limits  Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road  3 to 6 points  4 years 
  Exceeding speed limit on a motorway  3 to 6 points  4 years 
Traffic directions and signs  Failing to comply with traffic light signals  3 points  4 years 
  Failing to comply with double white lines  3 points  4 years 

 

Alternative punishment options for driving offences

For some types of motoring offence there are actually alternative punishments to fines, points and driving bans. Police are increasingly using more pro-active forms of driver training in an attempt to improve standards on the road and free up the courts to deal with more serious matters.

In cases that could be considered less serious, such as minor speeding offences, using a mobile phone, or running a red light, the offending driver could be given the option of attending a Speed Awareness Course or Driver Improvement Course as an alternative. Our driving lawyers will look at the circumstances of your driving offence to see if one of these alternative penalties might be applicable to your case.

Whether or not one of these alternatives could be applied to your case is at the discretion of the Police. You will have to pay the cost of the course but this in most cases is far more preferable to penalty points or a ban. Caddick Davies’ driving solicitors can usually negotiate this option for you, and this can be extremely important for those who are perilously close to a ban, having already accumulated penalty points.

Should you find yourself on the wrong end of the law when it comes to a motoring offence, contact us for a free consultation. One of our driving offence solicitors will be able to examine the details of your case and see if there are any mitigating circumstances that could help your case and give you a chance of taking a discretionary courses by way of an alternative punishment.

If your case is considered too serious that an alternative punishment would not suitable, we will still give you the best possible representation to ensure that your penalty is not as severe as it otherwise might have been.

 

How would I pay for you to represent me?

If we take on your case then the services of our driving defence solicitors are usually on a ‘Fixed Fee’ model. This means that you will pay a fixed amount, with no hidden extras or additional charges, regardless of the outcome of your case. 

Because Caddick Davies specialise in motoring offences, our team of driving offence lawyers have come across almost every type of offence and scenario before. We can build your defence based on previous successes and give you realistic expectations of the potential outcome.

To discuss your case with one of our experienced driving solicitors, contact us today on 0808 503 4907 for a free consultation, or fill out our ‘Request a Callback’ or ‘enquiry form’ and one of our legal team here at Caddick Davies will get back to you.