CPS seeks views on road traffic prosecutions

14/12/2006

The Crown Prosecution Service has launched a public consultation on road traffic offences, seeking views on how offences are prosecuted and the service it offers to victims and witnesses.

Legislation governs the charges open to the CPS for road traffic offences.  Within the parameters laid down by Parliament there are areas where CPS policy can have a clear effect on the way cases are dealt with.  The areas on which the CPS is consulting include:

• What sort of behaviour or actions by drivers should constitute dangerous driving and what should constitute careless driving?
• What information do victims and victims families want and when do they want this?
• How should cases involving the death of a family member or close friend be prosecuted?

Anna Zimand is Head of the Trials Unit at Derbyshire CPS, and the Area Champion for the prosecution of fatal road traffic accidents.  She said "Road traffic offences make up a significant proportion of our workload.  Many of these cases are comparatively minor, but in others the consequences of bad driving can be devastating.  In recent months we've prosecuted a number of cases in Derbyshire where a dangerous manoeuvre or moment of carelessness behind the wheel has both taken and ruined lives. 

"At Derbyshire CPS we have specialist prosecutors to deal with cases where a death has occurred, and we offer meetings to the bereaved families to explain our prosecution decision to them, face to face.  However it is important that we continually look for ways to improve how we support and communicate with victims of bad driving. 

"We hope this consultation will open up our practices and procedures and help explain how and why we make the decisions we do.  Within the legal framework in which we operate we want to ensure that the service we offer takes account of public attitudes and that people have a fuller understanding of, and confidence in, our decisions.  We welcome views from everyone with an interest in this subject."

The consultation document is available on the CPS website www.cps.gov.uk  The closing date for responses is 16 March 2007.