Many people are concerned about what the outcome of their court case may be. This is particularly when their case involves an allegation of bad driving. People wonder what they can do to mitigate the potential consequences they may be facing.
Taking steps to rehabilitate your driving record, or even to rehabilitate yourself, before attending court can certainly be helpful in your case. While there is no guarantee that any particular action you take may change the outcome of what happens in your court case,
taking proactive steps to demonstrate that you are attempting to address the underlying conduct that led to the charge, even if you do not agree with it, can be viewed as persuasive in your negotiation and discussion with the Crown or the police. It can also show that you are not likely to put yourself in that situation again.
Even if you have a lawyer, taking these steps can still assist with your case. This is because the information can be relied on by your lawyer to show that you no longer pose a risk to the public. This can help to demonstrate that it is no longer in the public interest to proceed with the prosecution of your matter.
We are often asked by people if they will be perceived as guilty by engaging in rehabilitative efforts, like taking a driver improvement course, writing an essay, or taking driving lessons. People are often under the mistaken impression that this amounts to an
admission of guilt.
The answer to that is no. It does not amount to an admission of guilt. Any driver on the road could probably use a refresher about important driving skills and a refresher on their ability to drive safely.
The decision to take these courses does not mean that you should be considered to be pleading guilty or that you are responsible for anything that is alleged to have occurred.
We often refer clients to certain courses, including the Distracted Driving Course, the Intoxicants and Driving Awareness Course and the BC Safe Driving Course.
So, if you are considering taking a driver improvement course before your traffic court date for your reckless driving ticket, one of these courses may be something that you wish to consider. Ultimately it is up to you which course, which rehabilitative effort, and which steps you take if any. Nothing is mandatory unless ordered by the court, but taking these steps can not hurt your case.