Yes, a District Attorney has the responsibility for prosecuting criminal cases in the district where he or she was either elected or appointed to represent and bad driving would be a criminal prosecution. Your friend would either pay the fine and accept responsibility or she could have her day in court. In more serious cases the district attorney or one of his assistants would present the case to a grand jury where your peers would decide if there was enough evidence to press charges. In lesser offenses, the DA may indeed decide (as one of his official duties) to file charges. He could later, if for instance someone died days later, to present the case to the Grand Jury. The DA does not have the right to find someone guilty that is the Judge and or jury. When the policeman came to the door your friend could have said I was not the driver, I loaned my car to "so and so".
My son one time called 911 to report a car driving recklessly on the interstate. He gave a description of the car and the direction they were driving. Later a state patrol officer called and told him that they had indeed pulled the car over for driving recklessly and the driver was drunk. The officer told him that he probably saved some lives that night as they stopped him before an accident.
Individuals who own a vehicle have a responsibility and duty to ensure that they drive in a safe and appropriate manner. When a person drives carelessly, he or she operates a vehicle or streetcar without the proper attention or a reasonable consideration for other people on the road. A careless driving charge has to do with a citation that implies that the person isn't drivingtheir vehicle in a prudent manner.
There are several examples of behavior that could warrant a
careless driving charge.
Driving through a red light could be considered
careless driving, as can
driving inappropriately close to another vehicle. Even a person's conduct while they are
driving could be considered
careless. For example, an individual who is reading a map, looking at another passenger, or tuning a car radio while the vehicle is moving could be in danger of being charged with
careless driving.
Careless driving laws vary depending upon jurisdiction. The fine could range from a few hundred dollars to over a $1000 US Dollars. Another potential consequence of a person who drives carelessly is the possibility that his or her insurance could increase. Insurance companies routinely monitor an individual’s
driving record to determine their premiums. A
careless driver could see their insurance increase up to 100%. In some cases, an insurance company may choose to cancel a person's policy.
If you see someone driving recklessly: "What would you do?" Just ignore the situation or would you step forward and call the authorities? I do not believe that we should personally intervene in the situation, but I do believe we all have a responsibility to try and keep an accident from happening.
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