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Land Transport Act 1998

Offences relating to driving (other than alcohol- and drug-related offences) and penalties - Offences relating to driving (other than offences involving alcohol or drugs)

35: Contravention of section 7, or section 22 where no injury or death involved

You could also call this:

“Penalties for dangerous driving or leaving an accident scene without injuries”

You break the law if you drive a car recklessly on the road. This means driving in a way that could be dangerous to other people. You also break the law if you don’t stop after an accident to check if anyone is hurt, even if no one actually was hurt.

If you do these things and are found guilty, you might have to go to jail for up to 3 months or pay a fine of up to $4,500. The court will also take away your driver’s licence for at least 6 months.

There are some special cases where the court might not take away your licence. This can happen if you’ve done something else wrong related to drinking and driving, or if there are special reasons why you shouldn’t lose your licence.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM434650.

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34: Contravention of section 6, or

"Penalties for driving unsafe or uncertified vehicles"

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36: Contravention of section 7 or section 22 involving injury, or

"Breaking driving rules and causing injury"

Part 5 Offences relating to driving (other than alcohol- and drug-related offences) and penalties
Offences relating to driving (other than offences involving alcohol or drugs)

35Contravention of section 7, or section 22 where no injury or death involved

  1. A person commits an offence if the person—

  2. operates a motor vehicle recklessly on a road; or
    1. drives or causes a motor vehicle to be driven on a road at a speed or in a manner which, having regard to all the circumstances, is or might be dangerous to the public or to a person; or
      1. without reasonable excuse, contravenes section 22 by failing to stop and ascertain whether any person has been injured, after an accident where no other person has been injured or killed.

        1. If a person is convicted of an offence against subsection (1),—

        2. the maximum penalty is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding $4,500; and
          1. the court must order the person to be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver licence for 6 months or more.

            1. If an offence against subsection (1) is a concurrent offence in relation to a qualifying offence for an alcohol interlock sentence, then the mandatory disqualification in subsection (2)(b) does not apply and section 65AH(3)(b) applies.

            2. The imposition of a mandatory disqualification under this section is subject to section 81 (which allows a court not to order disqualification for special reasons relating to the offence).

            Compare
            Notes
            • Section 35(2A): inserted, on , by section 8(1) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
            • Section 35(3): replaced, on , by section 8(2) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).