There But for the Grace of God Go I – Death by Dangerous Driving

One of the things that has always struck me throughout my career as a criminal defence solicitor is how often these cases provoke the thought: there but for the grace of God go I.

Of course, some cases involve excessive speed, racing, bravado and deliberate risk-taking. Those cases rightly attract significant public attention. However, over more than three decades of criminal defence work, I have represented many people charged with causing death by dangerous driving where there was no element of showing off, competition or thrill-seeking. Instead, there was simply a moment of human error with consequences that could never be undone.

I represented a 65-year-old woman who had held a clean driving licence throughout her life. Whilst driving, she leant across to pick up an item from the passenger seat. In that brief moment she misjudged the distance between her vehicle and the one travelling ahead. Panicking and attempting to avoid a collision, she swerved onto the pavement, instantly killing a young female pedestrian.

There was no alcohol. No excessive speed. No reckless display.

Just a split-second mistake that destroyed lives.

I also represented a young man who was driving on a Sunday morning to watch his father’s football match. Having been up late the night before, he was tired. For a moment, no more than a few seconds ,he fell asleep at the wheel. It was long enough for his vehicle to cross into oncoming traffic and collide head-on with another car, killing the female passenger instantly.

Again, there was no intention to cause harm. But the consequences were every bit as devastating.

Cases such as these are a reminder that dangerous driving is not always about recklessness in the way the public often imagines it. Sometimes it is about fatigue. Sometimes distraction. Sometimes a momentary lapse in concentration that lasts only seconds.

That does not diminish responsibility, nor the immeasurable suffering experienced by bereaved families. But it does underline an uncomfortable truth: many of us have experienced moments behind the wheel when we have been tired, distracted, impatient or insufficiently attentive. Most of the time nothing happens. Occasionally, the consequences are catastrophic.

Having dealt with these cases over many years it has undoubtedly affected way I drive. They have made me more conscious of the responsibilities that come with being behind the wheel, more aware of how quickly circumstances can change, and more mindful that even ordinary drivers are capable of making mistakes with extraordinary consequences.