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Saturday, 28 March 2015

Care - less or Careless?

I read something about a Careless Driver recently. It is an offence and he was being sentenced
The fixed penalty for careless driving is now £100 with 3 points on the driver’s licence. The most serious examples will continue to go through court, where offenders may face higher penalties.

Statutory Limitations & Maximum Penalty:  
  • On indictment - 5 years imprisonment,
  • On summary trial - 6 months imprisonment.
  • Minimum mandatory disqualification -12 months.
  • Mandatory endorsement 3 -11 points.
  • Discretionary re-test (s.36(4) RTOA 1988
It made me wonder what we mean by the term carelss. Do we mean the person literally didn't care at all about the possible outcome of their carelessness? Or do we mean their attention was distracted by something, or they were thinking about something else & had a lapse of concentration? It does matter because if it is the latter don't we all have careless lapses? Isn't that quite human? We aren't perfect & can't always rule our brain.

On the other hand if we literally couldn't care less about anything we do, that seems to me to be more culpable. Any action or non action has a consequence. We need to be aware of that & take steps to avoid harm.

The young are said to be careless in that they are freer than when they are adults and aren't weighed down with the cares of their lives & the world. It does seem true that as we age cares weigh upon us more than they did when we were "footloose & fancy free".

How much should we care? The life of "carers" can be a hard one. Their lives have to be subsumed to the needs of others. Are we entitled to care less for them & care more for ourselves? Aren't we as important as those we care for?

I don't have the answers, but I do think maybe we use the term without thinking. Should we punish something which may have consequences which we did not intend & which to a certain extent we can't control or forsee. (Not just in the sphere of driving).

Can we be expected to care all the time, about everything? Don't we deserve the right to be carefree sometimes?



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