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General road traffic offences

Failing to Stop/Give Particulars after an accident (AC10) (AC20)

The Offence
Being the driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle, owing to the presence of which on a road an accident occurred whereby personal injury or damage was caused to another person or another vehicle or an animal not in the vehicle, or property on or near the road, then failed to stop or on being required by a person to give your name and address and the name and address of the owner and the identity mark of the vehicle, failed to do so.

Maximum Penalty
6 months imprisonment and/or fine not exceeding Level 5
Endorsement with 5-10 penalty points
Discretionary disqualification

Comment
You only have to stop and give your particulars if  someone (other than you) or something (not in the other vehicle) is injured in the incident, or if you cause any damage to another vehicle or to anything else on or by the roadside (eg a lampost, fence or wall).

The likelihood of being imprisoned increase with the severity of the accident and if there is both a failure to stop and a failure to report the accident, if 

a) the Court believes that this was because you were trying to avoid a breath test, or
b) when serious injury is caused.

If you can satisfy the Court that you were unaware that an accident had occurred this may be a defence to the charge.

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Failing to Report an Accident (AC10)

The Offence
Being the driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle, owing to the presence of which on a road an accident occurred whereby personal injury was caused to another person, and not having given your name and address to a person having reasonable grounds for requiring you to do so, failed to report the accident at a police station or to a constable as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case within 24 hours of the occurrence of the accident.

Maximum Penalty
6 months imprisonment and/or fine not exceeding Level 5
Endorsement with 5-10 penalty points
Discretionary disqualification

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