Careless driving

Dangerous driving is an offence contrary to Section 37 of the Road Traffic Ordinance (Chapter 374). It is committed when the driving of a motor vehicle on a road falls seriously below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver and it would be obvious to a careful and competent driver that driving in that way would be dangerous. “Dangerous” refers to the danger either of injury to any person or of serious damage to property. In deciding what would be expected of a competent and careful driver in the particular case, all the circumstances must be considered. This includes, for example, the road conditions, the amount of traffic on the road and the physical condition of the driver. Examples of dangerous driving include aggressive driving, deliberately ignoring traffic lights, road racing, overtaking against double white lines on a blind bend, driving when unfit to do so by reason of tiredness or other physical condition or driving a vehicle knowing it to be substantially defective or grossly overloaded. In practice the driver must fall seriously short of the standard expected from the reasonable and competent driver in all the circumstances of the case.