What is the law surrounding failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failure to report the accident?
These are two of the most serious and often the least understood motoring offences.
If you are involved in a driving accident then you have an obligation to stop at the scene.
You must identify yourself to any other vehicles whether you have collided with them or not and give them your personal details and your insurance details. Where there is another vehicle involved, you must give the driver of the vehicle your name and address if requested by them even if the accident was not your fault.
If you do not stop at the scene of the accident for some reason (for instance, because of an irate driver or an unsafe situation), you must report the incident as soon as possible at a police station (within 24 hours) or you will be committing a driving offence. If you have left the scene without exchanging details for whatever reason the police are likely to charge you and it will be up to the Court to decide whether you were right not to exchange your details.
Most people would not be aware that failure to stop after hitting road furniture or even a tree can result in a court appearance. If you are ever unsure as to whether you need to report an accident, report it anyway.
The Police will often suspect the involvement of alcohol in any accident and this suspicion will increase if there is a lengthy delay in the reporting of an accident.
The issue of awareness of the driver involved is often a highly contentious issue in these cases and with the right help positive outcomes can be achieved. A driver cannot report an accident that the driver is unaware of.
We again stress the importance of contacting us early in proceedings especially for charges such as these which can carry imprisonment.
What are the punishments?
For both of these driving offences you could be facing five to ten penalty points or a disqualification, a fine of up to £5,000 and six months imprisonment.