Failing to stop/report an accident

Drivers have a legal duty to stop at the scene of an accident, which has caused damage or personal injury and must also exchange details with the other driver or persons involved. If for any reason you cannot or do not exchange details, you must report the accident to the Police as soon as practicable and certainly within 24 hours.  If a driver fails to fulfil these obligations, they will be committing an offence under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and be at risk of being prosecuted.

What are the penalties?

Failing to stop and failure to report an accident and the penalties can be significant including:

• Five to ten penalty points on your licence
• A disqualification from driving
• An unlimited fine
• Up to 6 months imprisonment

If you are investigated for leaving the scene of an accident and it is found that you were driving without insurance or may have been impaired through drink or drugs, these are aggravating circumstances and the penalties can be increased. You may have a defence available or a special reasons argument and speaking with one of our specialist team now to obtain expert advice immediately will ensure the best possible outcome.

What to do next

If you or someone you know has been arrested or charged with failure to stop after an accident or failure to report, you need to speak to a legal representative as quickly as possible. With a wealth of experience in defending motoring offences, our experts provide no-nonsense, practical advice. Call us to speak with one of our road traffic defence solicitors now at 0161 930 5151 or email crimeandregulatoryteam@gorvins.com

Alternatively please complete the contact form on this page and we will contact you as soon as possible.

If your call is out of normal office hours please call 07843 978201 and we will contact you as soon as possible.