Many Hints and things readers are no doubt dependent on their cars, they are necessary to perform house hold tasks and to support their family. For many of us losing our driving licence could have dire consequences, however this could be the penalty if you are found guilty of committing a driving offence.

The best way to keep your licence is to obey the rules of the road, however if you should find yourself facing charges of dangerous driving properly understanding the legal system can help you secure a more lenient sentence.

These hints are written based on UK law at the time the article was written and it should be understood that laws and exact penalties will differ in other countries.

Dangerous driving that causes the death of another is obviously extremely serious and if found guilty of this you will likely lose your licence for two years, on top of this you could face a prison sentence (up to 14 years in the UK) and an unlimited fine. If you find yourself in this situation you should seek legal advice to make sure the court here’s your side of the event. You will need to prove that you were driving with due care. If you are caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol it is also quite likely that you could lose your licence, as well as facing a fine (in the UK this fine goes up to £5000) and possible prison sentence. Should you cause an accident these penalties are likely to be even harsher. Again your best chance of being dealt with more leniently is to seek legal advice to ensure your side of the story is heard.

There are a number of other offences that can also lead to you losing your licence however they are usually regarded as less serious. If you can prove that there were mitigating circumstances or that loss of your driving licence would cause you extremely exceptional hardship the court may allow you to keep your licence. These decisions are made on a case by case basis and having a lawyer with experience of the system can help you to be heard favourably.

The excuse of the extremely exceptional hardship will only be accepted once in a three year period, should you face losing your licence again before these three years are up you will need to prove a new extremely exceptional hardship. Having a clean licence before your offence will help you case.

Offences such as using a phone whilst driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, driving without an MOT are usually treated more leniently and, unless you are contesting the offence, can normally be dealt with without a court appearance. These offences do not normally lead to the loss of your licence unless you have previous convictions for motoring offences.

The above advice will vary depending on your individual circumstances and the rules in your region or country.

Should you be accused of a driving offence it is always best to consult a specialist driving offence solicitor on the specifics of your individual case as soon as possible.

Remember any points on your licence or driving convictions you receive are likely to greatly increase your insurance premiums.

Always drive with extreme care if you cause the death or injury of another by careless driving a fine, prison sentence or driving ban may be mild compared to the burden on your conscious.

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