Careless driving tickets are often issued after an accident when the police officer, who generally arrives after the accident has already occurred, issues a ticket based upon what he or she has been told. Careless driving tickets are issued pursuant to Section 316.1925, Florida Statutes, which defines careless driving as follows: “Any person operating a vehicle upon the streets or highways within the state shall drive the same in a careful and prudent manner, having regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, and all other attendant circumstances, so as not to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person.”
There are a few things that you should know if you chose to fight your careless driving ticket.
Since the officer issuing the ticket most likely did not witness the accident, he or she cannot testify in court about what occurred to cause the accident. Without a testifying officer, the state is left questioning the drivers and any witnesses who may have provided their information to the officer. This is important because while police officers have experience testifying in courtrooms, lay people generally do not and might be nervous or unprepared. Also, while a police officer’s title and uniform might cause a judge to assume an officer is telling the truth, that unwritten rule does not apply to lay people. Finally, it is important to remember that accident reports are not admissible as evidence pursuant to Section 316.066(4), Florida Statutes. Thus, the accident report and its contents are not evidence. Most people do not know that!
Do you have a careless driving ticket? If you want to speak with a traffic ticket attorney for more information, the lawyers at the Ticket Clinic have defended over 1 million traffic tickets, including careless driving tickets, in Florida, California and nationwide. We concentrate solely on traffic-related offenses.
