A Practical Approach to Road Traffic Law

Road Traffic is one of the most frequently encountered areas of law in every-day criminal practice. Approximately 32 million people hold a full car driving licence in England, and others hold HGV or taxi licences as well. The implications of breaching the rules and regulations, whether on a major or minor scale, affect many of us on a daily basis.

The law is wide-ranging, sometimes complex, and occasionally required in tragic circumstances. Lawyers of every level are involved in the many and varied cases which end up in court, ranging from 'totters' (someone who has collected more than 12 points) to those who cause death or serious injury by dangerous driving. Disqualification, whether short or long in duration, can have a dramatic effect on any driver, particularly when their job is dependent upon being able to drive. Even an ostensibly minor traffic case can have serious consequences for the driver concerned.

A Practical Approach to Road Traffic Law draws together, in a simple and easy-to-use format, those aspects of road traffic work which most commonly arise in day-to-day court practice, whilst also providing information about slightly more rarefied areas like heavy goods vehicles and taxis which crop up in the Magistrates' courts surprisingly often. It explains how a case makes its way through the courts and sets out in detail the various offences and how to deal with them at every stage including sentencing. It highlights the important matters to be borne in mind for each situation and helps to make the most pertinent representations in any case. It includes sections about the minimum requirements for legality and the circumstances in which licences may be revoked.

In addition to providing solicitors and barristers with a portable courtroom guide and accessible aide memoire, A Practical Approach to Road Traffic Law also assists the increasing numbers of people who choose to represent themselves - litigants in person. By setting out the law in a practical and easy-to-access manner the work assists both legal practitioners and also litigants in person who wish to set out their case in the Magistrates' Courts when facing prosecution for a more minor offence.