Careless rather than Dangerous charge

One of the few cases where ‘causing death by careless driving’ has resulted in a reasonable length prison sentence – but this is a motorist, not a pedestrian or cyclist.

Once again, however, the preferred charge of ‘causing death by dangerous driving’ has fallen, this time because he was acquitted in court. In most cases prosecutors don’t even bother bringing the ‘dangerous’ charge to court.

Yet again a case of ‘causing death by dangerous driving’ (in this case seemingly cut and dried) is being weakened to just ‘causing death by careless driving’. No doubt Croome will now receive a vastly reduced sentence – perhaps even none at all.

The move to create a ‘causing death by careless driving’ offence has coincided with a sharp reduction in the number of motorists convicted of killing on the roads from receiving custodial sentences.

Is 20 mph over the 30 mph speed limit really just ‘careless’?

Surely such a gross breach of the speed limit must be considered to be ‘falling well below the standards of a careful and competent driver’?

Yet another case where the death of a cyclist occurs and the consequence is a suspended prison sentence, very short driving ban and £500 costs.

This is slightly different from others in that here the driver wouldn’t even plead guilty to causing death by careless driving. In many similar cases the charge is ‘causing death by dangerous driving’ (automatic jail term) but the prosecution settle for a guilty plea of ‘causing death by careless driving’.

Jonathan Richards, divisional Crown prosecutor for Cornwall, said: “There was insufficient evidence to prove Zoe Couch was guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, but that there was sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of her conviction for causing death by careless driving.”

- If that is the case, why did the CPS originally charge her with causing death by dangerous driving? It seems that yet again the difference between causing death by careless and causing death by dangerous driving has been blurred.