The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

OCTOBER 1996

Defending a charge of dangerous driving - a reminder and update

by Robert Pierse*

d e g r ee of s p e ed w o u l d be c o n s i d e r ed h a v i ng r e g a rd to t he p a r t i c u l ar location - w h at m i g ht b e " s p e e d" in a b u i l t - up a r ea m i g ht not b e " s p e e d" o n a d u al c a r r i a g e w a y. It s h o u ld b e n o t ed that c o m p l i a n ce w i th the s p e ed limits a l o ne is not a d e f e n c e. H o w e v e r, the lack of s p e ed m a y n e g a te the c o n d i t i on of the v e h i c le as an i n c r i m i n a t i ng d a n g e r o us c i r c u m s t a n c e, s u ch as w h e r e the v e h i c le h a s p o or b r a k e s. T h e d i f f i c u l ty in p r o v i ng s p e ed is r e c o g n i s ed by S e c t i on 105 of the 1961 A ct in that t he u n c o r r o b o r a t ed e v i d e n ce of o n e w i t n e ss e x p r e s s i ng his o p i n i on on s p e ed is not s u f f i c i e n t. (c) Condition of the Vehicle: T h e " c o n d i t i on of the v e h i c l e" as a r e l e v a nt i n g r e d i e nt w a s (like " s p e e d ") a d d ed to S e c t i on 5 3 by the 1968 Ac t. It is a d v i s a b l e, w h e r e t h e re is a ny i n d i c a t i on in t he i n s t r u c t i o ns r e c e i v ed that the c o n d i t i on of the v e h i c le m a y b e an integral f a c t o r, to h a v e the v e h i c le i n s p e c t ed by a m o t o r a s s e s s o r, as a p o s i t i ve a s s e s s o r 's o p i n i on o n " c o n d i t i o n" c an c o u n t e r b a l a n ce a c o n t r a ry o p i n i on e x p r e s s ed by a p u b l ic s e r v i ce v e h i c le i n s p e c t o r. (d) Place: T h e c i r c u m s t a n c es of the p a r t i c u l ar place c o n s t i t u te a n o t h er i n g r e d i e nt of S e c t i on 53. T h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c es c an be s u b - d i v i d ed as f o l l o w s: (i) The nature or condition of the place , w h e t h er at a c r o ss r o a ds or at a b e n d etc., as well as the size a nd w i d th a nd the t y pe (e.g. c o n c r e t e, t a r m a c a d am etc.) of r o a d, c an b e r e l e v a nt as m i t i g a t i ng or e x a c e r b a t i ng f a c t o r s. T h e fact that r o ad c o n d i t i o ns are b ad as a result of f e a t u r es s u ch as frost, m u d , floods, r o ad r e p a i rs or o t h er t e m p o r a ry o b s t r u c t i o ns m a y h a ve a s i g n i f i c a nt b e a r i ng o n w h e t h er t he d r i v i ng is f o u n d to b e d a n g e r o u s. (ii) T h e use of the place, as w h a t m i g ht c o n s t i t u te d a n g e r o us d r i v i ng o n a b u s y street in a city or t o wn m i g ht not d o s o o n a c o u n t ry r o a d. If an

S o l i c i t o rs are r e g u l a r ly c a l l ed o n to d e f e n d p r o s e c u t i o ns u n d er S e c t i on 5 1 A ( d r i v i ng w i t h o ut d u e c o n s i d e r a t i o n ), S e c t i on 5 2 ( c a r e l e ss d r i v i n g) a nd S e c t i on 5 3 ( d a n g e r o us d r i v i n g) of t he Road Traffic Acts 1961/95. In view of t he s e r i o us c o n s e q u e n t i al d i s q u a l i f i c a t i on that n o w a t t a c h es to a c o n v i c t i on f o r d a n g e r o us d r i v i ng it is o p p o r t u ne to c l o s e ly c o n s i d er S e c t i on 5 3, w h i c h in its p r e s e nt f o r m r e a ds as f o l l o w s:

"A person shall not drive a vehicle in a public place in a manner (including speed) which, having regard to all

Robert Pierse

the circumstances of the case (including the condition of the

vehicle, the nature, condition and use of the place and the amount of traffic which then actually is or might reasonably be expected then to be therein), is dangerous to the public". Ingredients of Section 53 T h e r e are a n u m b e r of initial ' i n g r e d i e n t s' to t he S e c t i on 5 3 o f f e n ce that m u s t b e e s t a b l i s h ed by the p r o s e c u t i o n. A c c o r d i n g l y, o n r e c e i pt of i n s t r u c t i o ns to d e f e nd a c h a r ge or s u m m o n s u n d er the s e c t i o n, a solicitor s h o u ld c h e ck t he f o l l o w i n g: (i) the person (is the defendant p r o p e r ly i d e n t i f i e d ? ); (ii) t he vehicle (is t he v e h i c le i n v o l v ed c o r r e c t ly i d e n t i f i e d ? ); (iii) t he driving (is t h e re e v i d e n ce that t he n a m e d d e f e n d a nt w a s the d r i v e r ? ); (iv) t he place (did t he d r i v i ng t a ke p l a ce in a public place?); (v) t he arrest (if t h e re w a s an arrest, w a s it c a r r i ed o ut c o r r e c t l y ?) a n d, (vi) t he initiation p r o c e d u r es ( w a s t h e re c o m p l i a n ce w i th p r o p er p r o c e d u r es

c o m p l a i nt to a District C o u rt j u d g e o r clerk a nd the s e r v i ce of the s u mm o n s ?) In o r d er to c h e c k the e x i s t e n ce or o t h e r w i se of t h e se i n g r e d i e n ts it is w i se that a d e t a i l ed s t a t e m e nt is o b t a i n ed f r o m the d e f e n d a nt client at t he outset. There are also more substantive ' i n g r e d i e n t s' to b e c o n s i d e r ed w h e n p r e p a r i ng to d e f e n d a S e c t i on 5 3 c h a r ge of d a n g e r o us d r i v i n g, as f o l l o w s: (a) Manner of Driving : T h i s is the c e n t r al t h r u st of S e c t i on 5 3 as the p r o s e c u t i on m u st p r o ve b e y o nd r e a s o n a b le d o u bt that t he m a n n e r of d r i v i ng by the d e f e n d a nt h as r e s u l t ed in d a n g er to t he p u b l i c. In the Au s t r a l i an c a s e of R-v-Hain 2 N S W R 1 4 2 it w a s stated that t h e re m u s t b e an act or o m i s s i on w i th r e f e r e n ce to t he m a n a g e m e nt of t he v e h i c le b y the d e f e n d a nt w h i c h in the c i r c u m s t a n c es results in a d a n g e r o us m a n n e r of d r i v i n g. A l s o, see (e) b e l o w. (b) Speed: The Road Traffic Act, 1968 inserted the w o r d s " i n c l u d i ng s p e e d" in S e c t i on 53. S p e e d o b v i o u s ly w o u l d h a v e a s t r o ng i n f l u e n ce on a j u d g e ' s m i n d o n w h e t h er to c o n v i ct f o r d a n g e r o us d r i v i n g. T h e

r e g a r d i ng t he c h a r g i ng of t he d e f e n d a nt or, if b y s u m m o n s r e g a r d i ng s e r v i ce of a N o t i ce of I n t e n t i on to P r o s e c u te - if n o f o r m al w a r n i ng g i v en at t he s c e ne a n d r e g a r d i ng the m a k i n g of a

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