Driving Without Due Care and Attention

Driving without due care and attention forms Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act of 1988; driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users.

Driving without due care and attention is legally defined as, “allowing your standard of driving to fall below that of a prudent motorist”.

Examples of this may include;

Not paying attention to the road
Driving at an inappropriate speed for the road/weather conditions
Pulling into the path of other vehicles
Reading a map
Tuning a radio
Lighting a cigarette

This offence carries a penalty of 3-9 points on your driving licence, a fine and the possibility of a driving disqualification at the courts discretion.

The offence is committed when the standard of driving falls below that of a prudent and competent driver in all circumstances of the offence, and the onus is on the prosecution to demonstrate that this was the case. Careless driving is often an alternative verdict if you have been charged with dangerous driving. The difference between the two offences is simply, the standard of driving, and dangerous driving requires the prosecution to prove that the standard of driving fell far below that of a competent driver.

Hammond Trotter have extensive experience in advising and representing persons charged with this offence, and we will help you to achieve the best outcome possible with our specialist, expert knowledge in this area of law.

Should you have any questions regarding any of the information you may have read, or if you are looking for some representation, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Alternatively, give us a call 0161 839 5117 to contact our Manchester office or 020 3886 2340 to contact our London office.

You can also find us on the DrugDriving.org and DrinkDriving.org forums, where you can .