Many people who appear in Court for this type of offence are there because they were unaware of their legal obligations following a road traffic accident.
The law requires a person who is involved in a road traffic accident to stop at the scene and provide their details to any affected party. Thereafter the accident must be reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable or at least within 24 hours.

There are various defences available, and, as with the majority of motoring offences, the Crown Prosecution Service must prove a number of elements before successfully securing a conviction.

Upon conviction the offences carry between 5 – 10 penalty points.  (You could even be disqualified for the offence itself).   Accordingly, if you find yourself summonsed to court for both offences, there is a serious risk of disqualification.

In addition, the most serious type of offences can carry up to 6 months imprisonment. The Court will usually consider the imposition of a custodial sentence where serious injury or damage was caused during the accident or bad driving was involved.    Should you find yourself accused of this type of offence it is therefore highly advisable that you obtain legal advice before your first appearance at Court.  If you need any advice or help regarding a traffic case call us immediately.