Driving Offence Solicitors

Our highly experienced motoring offence solicitors offer:

• 24/7 legal support in person and over the phone, 365 days a year
• Representation anywhere in England and Wales
• Accredited Police Station Representatives to support you during a police interview
• Clear, effective legal advice in any language (see our languages spoken)

Whether you have been accused of a motoring offence, have been arrested, charged, released on bail or under investigation, or are worried about your current legal position, get in touch with our driving offence solicitors as soon as possible.

Speak to our driving offence solicitors in London, Manchester and Birmingham today

For an initial consultation on your legal position and the available options, please call 020 7624 7771.

For urgent advice at any time of day or night, please call our emergency number 07836 577556.

You can also email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk or fill out our quick online enquiry form and we will get back to you quickly.

Our motoring offence solicitors can also represent you at Willesden Court if you are due to make an appearance there. This means that our costs will likely be lower, as we are a local firm to the court.

Our driving offences expertise

Drink driving

If you are found guilty of committing a drink driving offence, you could face a fine, a mandatory driving ban or even a prison sentence in the worst cases. The severity of the penalty depends on the individual circumstances and whether it is your first offence.

For example, being found guilty of being in charge of a vehicle while over the limit may lead to a three-month prison sentence, a £2,500 fine and a driving ban. In contrast, being found guilty of a drink driving offence as serious as causing death while under the influence of drink could result in 14 years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, and a driving ban of at least two years.

It is worth noting that it may be possible to reduce the penalty you receive for a drink driving offence if certain actions are taken, such as a drink-driving rehabilitation schemes (DDRS) course.

Drug driving

Under UK law, it is an offence to drive if you are unfit to do so because you are using legal or illegal drugs, or you have certain levels of illegal drugs in your blood. This is true even if your standard of driving has not been affected.

If you are convicted of taking drugs before driving, the penalties start at a minimum one-year driving ban, an unlimited fine, a six-month prison sentence and a criminal record.

Failing to identify the driver

Failing to identify the driver of a vehicle when requested by the police or another authorised person is a criminal offence. The law states that the registered keeper of a vehicle is responsible for providing details to identify a driver who is alleged to have committed a motoring offence.

Being convicted of failing to name or identify a driver could lead to a maximum fine of £1,000, six penalty points on your driving licence or a full revocation of your licence if you are a new driver.

Surpassing 12 penalty points

If you receive 12 or more penalty points within three years, you can be disqualified from driving.

The length of the driving ban will be decided by the court, based on how serious the offence(s) are deemed to be. Your ban can last:

• 6 months, if you get 12 or more penalty points within 3 years
• 12 months, if you get a second disqualification within 3 years
• 2 years, if you get a third disqualification within 3 years

Driving whilst disqualified

Driving while serving a disqualification is a criminal offence which can lead to various additional penalties. This could lead to the original driving ban being extended or, in more serious cases, a prison sentence.

The defences to driving while disqualified are often limited, which highlights how important it is to seek legal representation if you are to avoid prosecution or receive a reduced penalty.

Driving while using a mobile

Using a mobile phone while driving is illegal and could lead to penalty points and a fine if you are convicted.

However, as the use of a mobile phone while driving can coincide with more serious offences, such as careless driving, the punishments may be more severe.

Careless driving and driving without due care and attention

An individual’s driving is deemed to be ‘careless’ when it ‘falls below the expected standard of a competent driver. This may include actions such as accidentally driving through a red light, incorrectly using a lane or driving unnecessarily slowly.

Being convicted of careless driving will result in penalty points on your licence, a driving ban and/or fine. However, causing death by careless driving is a much more serious offence which could lead to prison sentences.

Dangerous driving

Dangerous driving is where someone’s standard of driving falls far below what is expected of a competent and careful driver. Offences that fall under this bracket may include speeding, ignoring road signs, overtaking dangerously or knowingly driving a vehicle with a dangerous fault.

Dangerous driving is a serious offence in itself but causing death by dangerous driving can lead to very severe penalties – including 14 years’ imprisonment. Expert criminal defence is required in these situations to prove that the driving was not dangerous or that it did not contribute to the death.

Exceptional hardship

An exceptional hardship is what can be submitted by you, as a defendant, as part of your plea in court to retain a driving license, following the accumulation of 12 or more penalty points.

An exceptional hardship plea will typically contain any information you can provide on how a driving ban will impact your life beyond a level that might normally be expected.

Our driving offence solicitors can work alongside you to submit an exceptional hardship argument, putting forward a sufficient case that justifies keeping hold of your licence.

Special reasons hearings

In certain cases, there may be exceptional circumstances that caused the driving offence to take place. These are referred to as ‘special reasons’ and, if successfully put forward, can result in a lighter penalty, or no penalty at all.

Examples of special reasons may include where:

• Your drink was laced or spiked leading to a driving offence
• There was an emergency situation
• You were misled into believing you were insured to drive

We can review your individual case and advise on whether putting forward a special reasons case would be in your best interests.

Why choose our driving offence solicitors?

If you have had to head to the police station, or court, for a driving offence, it is absolutely vital that you receive the right legal advice and support for specialist motoring offence solicitors at the earliest opportunity.

While you can use a duty solicitor in these situations, they may lack the specialist expertise required to support your case.

Our dedicated solicitors have a wealth of combined experience in a variety of driving offences and use this to provide expert advice and representation to give you the best chance of securing a positive outcome for your case.

We will guide you through the entire process with clear, straightforward advice that allows you to understand your situation, rights, options and possible outcome.

Our dedicated motoring offence lawyers are ready and available to act in your defence, around the clock, including on weekends and bank holidays.

We can also represent you at Willesden Court if you are due to make an appearance there. This means that our costs will likely be lower, as we are a local firm to the court.

Funding your motoring law defence

Funding police station representation

If you have been arrested, or are being interviewed under caution, you are entitled to free legal representation. This can be from a solicitor of your choosing and is not means-tested.

Funding your legal defence if you are prosecuted

If you are charged with a motoring offence and prosecuted, you may be able to apply to have some or all of your legal defence costs covered by a Representation Order, often referred to as ‘legal aid’.

The amount of financial assistance you receive and how you apply will depend on the type of court the prosecution takes place in.

Private fees 

Should you need to self-fund some or all of the cost of your legal representation, we will clearly explain all of the likely costs and our fee structures. Whether you receive legal aid funding or not, any contribution you make to your legal costs will be refunded if you are found not guilty.

Contact our driving offence solicitors today

For urgent specialist advice, immediate representation or to speak to our solicitors in London, Manchester and Birmingham confidentially about a driving offence, please call 020 7624 7771 or email solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form and we will get back to you quickly.

For immediate representation and advice, call our emergency number 07836 577556 and we will provide you with the urgent assistance you need.