AA is for "Automobile Accident"

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by: BTLewis
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Word Count: 867
Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2011 Time: 10:41 PM
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Road traffic lawyers handle plenty of cases involving vehicular accidents and it's not surprising, given the sheer amount of careless and reckless drivers on Britain's roads each and every day.

Any person who drives their car regularly can see daft drivers doing the stupidest things at their wheels all year long. It is not rare to witness people acting on such bad impulses as reading newspapers while driving down the motorway, texting on their mobile phones at roundabouts, speeding through red lights, overtaking on 30mph single-lane roads or indicating one way and turning another.

Even worse, some people forget to indicate at all and pull out in front of vehicles because they failed to pay attention to the fact that they are actually driving a potentially dangerous machine.
Careless and dangerous driving causes a huge number of accidents a year, with pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, other drivers and fellow passengers being injured or killed due to the recklessness and stupidity of another.

It is still the case that, in the UK, drink driving is a prolific activity for many drivers despite the tragic newspaper headlines and the ever more gruesome adverts (especially at Christmas) attempting to deter them from doing so.

There is no escaping the fact that road traffic accidents harm not just thousands, but hundreds of thousands of people each year. Because of this, road traffic law is under constant review, evolving regularly to battle the ominous casualty statistics.

Car Accidents are Accidents
Sometimes accidents do happen unintentionally, even when drivers are paying attention. Poor weather, bad road conditions, or a driver swerving or performing an emergency stop to miss a dangerous obstacle that has somehow landed on the road is not an exceptional occurrence.

There is a wealth of road traffic accident information and it is important to know the procedures that should be taken in the event of an accident, but even more so, the precautions that should be taken so that you are not held liable in the event that another person lays all the blame on you.

Road traffic solicitors and car accident lawyers have had much experience with automobile accidents, and there are many who can offer practical and professional advice to victims so that they can claim justified compensation from careless or dangerous drivers.
Even if you are suffering from less than rosy economic circumstances, there are road traffic solicitors who can offer their services on a "no win, no fee" basis.

The difference between careless driving and dangerous driving
Careless driving relates to when people drive "without due care and attention" - such as causing accidents due to momentary lapses in concentration, such as tuning a car radio, driving inappropriately close to another vehicle or looking at a passenger while talking to them. This could also be due to vehicle malfunctioning or something happening inside or outside the car that causes the driver to momentarily lose driving competency.

Dangerous driving is an entirely more serious matter and can carry heavy penalties and prison time if proved. A person is classified as a dangerous driver if they fall far below the quality of driving that is expected of a competent and careful driver. Examples of dangerous driving include excessive speeding, and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

How many units of alcohol is over the limit?
There is currently an 80mg limit on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which roughly equates to one and a half pints (2011). Anything past this and you could be prosecuted for drunk driving. The current government is reportedly not planning any changes to this limit - however adjustment of the UK limit on drink driving is often discussed, and plans to bring it in line with the European limit of 50mg have been discussed as recently as 2009. Keep an eye on drink driving law, and make sure it doesn't catch you out.

Using your mobile phone when driving
Currently you will get three points on your driving licence and up to a £1000 fine if caught with a mobile phone while driving. It is often the case that police officers will immediately assume that anyone carrying a mobile phone in their hand while driving is using it for some purpose and therefore committing a criminal offence.

It is important to note though, that it is not illegal to have your phone in a cradle on the dashboard as part of a hands-free kit as this is not covered by the mobile phone driving law, which clearly stipulates that you can only be prosecuted if you are holding the device.

Watch Out
Driving can be a dangerous experience, and while you can trust yourself to be careful and considerate when driving, it is important to be wary of other drivers on the road and be constantly alert and aware of strange driving behaviour of the vehicles around you. It could save your life.

About the Author

Bryan Lewis is a jack of all legal trades, who has written a fair bit of legal advice in his time. He has contributed to a number of different legal sites, including legal information on car accident solicitors and general injury claims.