If you are involved in a road traffic accident where personal injury or damage has been caused to someone other than yourself, it is an offence to fail to stop. As the driver of the vehicle, it is your responsibility to either exchange details with the other parties at the scene or to report the incident to the police at a police station within 24 hours of the incident, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
What is the penalty for failure to stop?
Failure to stop is a serious offence and can carry a penalty of a 26-week custodial sentence, between 5-10 penalty points in addition to a £5,000 fine. The sentence would depend on the severity of the case, which would be judged on the degree of damage caused or any efforts made by the accused to stop or report the incident.
Can you defend the case of failure to stop at a motor traffic accident?
It is possible to defend these cases. There is no time limit to how long the defendant must remain at the scene of the incident, and the duty to stop only applied when the defendant was aware that the incident occurred. It is sometimes the case that a person is accused of being involved in an accident that they have no knowledge of. In this situation, we can help to assess any prosecution against you to advise you of the best strategy to get the best possible outcome.