There are five separate offences which could result from you driving dangerously or without consideration, namely dangerous driving, careless and inconsiderate driving, causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving and driving without reasonable consideration.

Dangerous driving occurs where your driving falls well below the standard that would be expected of a competent driver, or where it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that your driving would be dangerous or where it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving a vehicle in its current state would be dangerous

Where dangerous driving leads to the death of another person – whether pedestrian, other driver or a person in the same vehicle, then the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving will have been committed.

Introduced in August 2008, the new offence of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving has filled a gap in the law. Previously, in most cases where neither drink or drugs were involved, only the offence of causing death by dangerous driving could be charged where a fatal accident had occurred.

Careless driving (or driving without due care and attention) is defined as any driving which falls below the standard that a competent and careful driver would expect and takes two forms, namely driving without due care and attention, and driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.

If because of the way you are driving you are regarded as having inconvenienced others then you may be charged with driving without reasonable consideration.

The law places a number of duties upon those who drive and if these are not observed they can lead to an offence being committed. Whilst penalties for failure to observe traffic signs are usually light, other failures, such as failure to report an accident or failure to provide a specimen of your breath can result in far more serious consequences.

It is an offence to drive, or attempt to drive, a motor vehicle whilst over the permitted limit or whilst unfit through drink or drugs, be in charge of a vehicle whilst over the permitted limit or fail to provide a specimen if you have been stopped by the police because it is reasonably believed that you are under the influence.

It is an offence for you to drive – or even attempt to drive – a motor vehicle when you are unfit to do so as a result of consuming drink or drugs to the extent that the proportion of it in your breath, blood or urine exceeds the prescribed limit.

It is just as illegal for you to drive under the influence of drugs – whether they are prescribed drugs or illegal drugs – as it is to drive under the influence of alcohol. Drugs can have an effect on both your mind and your body with the result that you are rendered unsafe to drive.