Reduction of driving licence withdrawal for pedestrian-crossing offence

ATA/149/1996Court of Justice / Administrative ChamberMar 19, 1996Modified

Extracted by Omnilex

Omnilex summary

The court held that a driver who failed to show the required special caution before a pedestrian crossing would ordinarily face a two-month licence withdrawal. In this case, however, the period was reduced to one month because the driver lived in a village without shops, needed a vehicle for daily life, cared for a severely disabled wife, and had no prior driving offences during 49 years of driving.

Omnilex headnote

Art. 16 al. 3 LCR; duration of licence withdrawal for failure to exercise special caution before a pedestrian crossing; the ordinary sanction may be departed from in exceptional circumstances. A reduction is justified where the offender demonstrates substantial practical dependence on a vehicle and other mitigating circumstances, in particular an exceptionally long traffic record without antecedents. Such personal hardship may warrant a shorter withdrawal than the usual practice otherwise applied for the offence.

Full text

Descripteurs

CIRCULATION ROUTIERE; PIETON; SECURITE DE LA CIRCULATION; PASSAGE POUR PIETONS; LCR

Normes

LCR.16 al.3

Résumé

Réduction de 2 à 1 mois de la durée d'un retrait pour un conducteur qui n'avait pas déféré à l'obligation de prudence particulière avant un passage de sécurité. Exception à la pratique (2 mois) en raison du besoin important de disposer d'un véhicule du recourant, qui habite un village dépourvu de commerces et qui a la charge d'une épouse gravement handicapée. Pour le surplus, il a été tenu compte de l'absence d'antécédent en 49 ans de conduite.

Keywords

road trafficpedestrian crossingdriving licence withdrawalspecial cautionmitigationpersonal hardshipprior record

Extracted by Omnilex

Key legal questions extracted by Omnilex

Key legal question

Whether the duration of the driving licence withdrawal for the pedestrian-crossing violation should be reduced below the usual two months.

Extracted holding

The withdrawal period was reduced from two months to one month because the concrete hardship of the driver justified an exception to the usual practice, given his lack of prior offences over 49 years, the absence of shops in his village, and his responsibility for a severely disabled spouse.

Extracted reasoning

Although the offence normally warrants a two-month withdrawal, the court took account of exceptional personal and practical dependence on a vehicle, together with an unblemished driving record.

Reduction of driving licence withdrawal for pedestrian-crossing offenceAI generated