MOTORING LAW

Causing death by dangerous driving

Causing death by dangerous driving is an extremely serious offence and probably the most serious of all the driving offences. If convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, you will almost inevitably receive a prison sentence. These cases can only be dealt with by a Crown Court and any trial is by Judge and Jury.

Death by dangerous driving

 An allegation of causing death by dangerous driving is extremely serious, for free initial advice call 01274 271505 or complete our online enquiry form. Causing death by dangerous driving is one of the most serious, if not the most serious, of all motoring offences. If convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, you will almost inevitably receive a prison sentence. These cases can only be dealt with by a Crown Court and if you plead not guilty your case will be heard before a jury.

 If you have been involved in an incident where the death of another has been caused, then it is vital that you obtain immediate legal advice.

 In order to prove the offence, the prosecution must establish that your driving would have been obviously dangerous to a reasonably competent driver, and that the driving was a cause of the death of another person. The driving may be alleged to be dangerous for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, driving at high speeds, aggressive driving, overtaking where it is illegal to do so, ignoring road signs or traffic markings, driving a vehicle which is not road worthy and driving under the influence of excess alcohol or under the influence of drugs.

 Defending such cases can be very challenging indeed and can involve the instruction of suitably qualified experts, and even an accident reconstruction exercise.

The penalty:

• In recent years the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving has been increased to 14 years imprisonment
• The Court has also the power to impose a disqualification from driving for a minimum of 2 years and an extended driving test.