Careless driving in New Jersey can be a serious offense, especially if it involves an accident with property damage, or worse, personal injury. The penalties are not as severe as reckless driving, but should still not be taken lightly.
Careless Driving Penalties
If you have been charged with this offense, you face:
- a fine of $50 to $200
- up to 15 days in jail
- $33 court costs, and
- 2 points on your license.
If there was an accident, a conviction of careless driving can also cause problems for you in civil court, as it would constitute evidence of negligence in a personal injury suit.
But the State of NJ Still Has to Prove Its Case
However, the state must still prove its case against you. In order to do so, they must show that you drove "carelessly, or without due caution and circumspection, in a manner so as to endanger, or be likely to endanger, a person or property."
This is not always easy to prove, and is often charged in conjunction with other offenses, such as DWI, speeding, unsafe lane change, or the like. The risk of conviction there fore turns on the individual facts of your case, which you should have reviewed by an experienced traffic court attorney.
So What Do I Do?
If you have received a ticket for this offense here in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem or Cumberland County, New Jersey, you need to act to protect your rights. Get a lawyer. You do not want to risk points on your driving record.
Decided to hire an attorney? Then call me immediately at 856-432-4113 or contact me through this site to schedule an appointment for a free consultation in my Woodbury office. If you are out of state or out of the area, this can be done by phone
If you are looking for more information on New Jersey's traffic laws, then download my free book, A Guide to Driving Legally in NJ, and Surviving Traffic Court If You Don't.
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