What is failing to stop?
According to the law, if you have been involved in an accident, you must stop at the scene of it. If you cannot stop at the scene, you must report it to the police. If you damage someone’s property and you cannot find out who owns it or fail to exchange details with them, you must contact the police within 24 hours of the accident occurring.
What happens if I fail to stop?
The consequences depend on the seriousness of the offence. You can even face up to six months imprisonment for more serious crimes, however, the more common penalties are 5-10 points and a fine which can be unlimited. A prison sentence for failing to stop is usually a consequence of very serious accidents, like causing harm to another person by not stopping. Failing to report an incident is usually related to failing to stop, if you have been charged with both you are more likely to be charged with the higher sentence.
Failing to stop usually involves damage to other people’s property and driving off. More severe offences can include harming other individuals and leaving them, which is then putting someone’s life at risk. If it is unclear who owns the property you have damaged then you must contact the police, and if you are unable to do so at the time, you must do it within 24 hours of the accident.
If you have been charged with failing to stop, the charges can be very serious, and depending on the severity, they can even lead to a driving disqualification. This can lead to a real strain on anyone’s day to day life, especially if you use driving on a daily or as a part of a job.
Here at Solicitors On Your Side, our solicitors can help you explore your options related to your offence and look into any defences to make your charges less severe. Failing to stop can lead to a criminal record, which will harm your future insurance premiums, making them significantly higher. Criminal records don’t look great to future employers either, this can lower the chances of getting a job.
What defences can I use for my charges?
There is a range of things that can defend a hit and run case with, these include:
- If the accident happened on private land and it wasn’t on a public road or public property
- If you can prove that you stopped at the time of the accident and exchanged details
- You didn’t know that the accident occurred at the time
- You were not driving at the time of the accident
Our solicitors will also look into other options to defend your case, such as:
- Whether the accident was reported in a good time
- Errors in the procedure by the police
- Errors in the procedure by the prosecution
- If there is any evidence of damage at the accident scene
Solicitors On Your Side will use their extensive expertise to find the right evidence to defend your case, so you can avoid hefty penalties and go back to your day to day life in no time.
Have you been convicted of a motoring offence?
If you have been charged with a motoring offence, contact Solicitors On Your Side now to help you lower your motoring offence penalties. We understand that these situations can be very time consuming and stressful but at Solicitors On Your Side, we will try to make the process as quick as possible.
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Get in touch with us now if you have been convicted of a motoring offence, remember that there are always better options out there!
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