Failing to Stop can be one of the serious motoring offences, it is also known as hit and run. The penalty for failing to stop depends on the seriousness of the offence, some hit and run cases can be very serious. If you cannot stop at the scene, you must report it to the police within 24 hours.
If you have been caught failing to stop, you can face an unlimited fine, 5-10 points on your licence, and even a driving disqualification depending on the severity of the crime. If you have been convicted of a more serious motoring offence, such as failing to stop after causing harm to someone else, then you can even face 6 months imprisonment. For a more thorough list of penalties, you can visit the Government Website. You can find more information on our page on Failing to Stop.
When do I have to stop at an accident?
You must stop and report at a scene of an accident if you caused harm to anyone or caused damage to anything. Even if the injury was caused only to your passengers, you still must stop or report the accident. If the only one that was injured was you, you do not need to stop or report the accident. You do not always need to call the police, if you exchange details with anyone injured or the owner of any damaged property, you do not need to call the police. The only time you need the police is if you cannot show an insurance certificate, you must produce a certificate within 7 days at a chosen police station.
What can I use as a defence for failing to stop?
There’s a range of circumstances that can help with your case. The offence of failing to stop is usually directly related to failing to report to the police, for more serious accidents, it is essential to call the police.
A very common defence for failing to stop is when the offender wasn’t even aware of the crime in the first place, and they would have stopped if they knew that it occurred. Some accidents can be very minor, and the offender doesn’t realise it happened until they got a penalty letter for it.
Another defence for failing to stop is being able to prove that you were not driving at the time, this includes not driving on a public road.
If you can prove that you did in fact exchange details at the time of the accident, and reported it as soon as you could, our solicitors can use that as a defence.
Our solicitors can use their extensive motoring knowledge to help you with your case, lower any fines and penalties and try to avoid any driving disqualifications, which can be a huge inconvenience to your day to day life. Contact our experienced solicitors at Solicitors on Your Side now.
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Get in touch with us now if you have been convicted of a motoring offence in relation to failing to stop, remember that there are always better options out there!
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