Teens are easily charged with Careless Driving in Morgan, Logan, and Weld County. This is because Careless Driving is often normal teenage behavior. Let’s take a look at the statute in order to understand these charges more fully.
Teen drivers are targets for being charged with Careless Driving.
What is Careless Driving in Greeley?
A person will be charged with Careless Driving – C.R.S. 42-4-1402, if they drive a car:
“In a careless and imprudent manner, without due regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, and use of the streets and highways and all other attendant circumstances.”
As you can see, teens are easily charged with Careless Driving. Teenagers often stereotypically drive in an “imprudent manner” and are careless in their decisions. They are new drivers and often don’t make wise decisions when it comes to the road. Let’s look at a recent example in the news:
Normal Teen Behavior = Easily Charged with Careless Driving
Earlier this year, we spotted an article in the news about a 17-year-old girl who crashed her friend’s car in a wooded area next to a store. The accident happened shortly after midnight, and the young girl was driving the car with two other passengers. She took a turn too quickly, hit a curb, and then drove down a small embankment. Because the young driver drove “without due regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, and use of the streets,” she has been charged with Careless Driving. This young woman was out late with her friends, was most likely chatting and not looking at what she was doing, and didn’t respond quickly enough to the situation to correct her course down the embankment. All these actions are normal for a typical teenager.
Why Your Teen Needs a Criminal Defense Attorney
Teenagers don’t always make the wisest decisions. But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help them when they are charged with a traffic crime in Johnstown, Evans, or Erie. Careless Driving is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense, which isn’t a serious charge – but even a misdemeanor on a teen’s record can be damaging. Stand by your kids and help them face their mistakes with the guidance of an understanding criminal defense lawyer so they get the best possible outcome for their future.
If your teen has been charged with Careless Driving, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the O’Malley Law Office for a free consultation at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect their future.
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