Hit and run
In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the criminal act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions.
For other uses, see Hit and run (disambiguation).Additional obligation[edit]
In many jurisdictions, there may be additional obligations such as to exchange information about one's financial responsibility (including any applicable insurance); to summon emergency services if they are needed; or to render any reasonable assistance to those who are injured or in peril ("duty to rescue" laws). There may also be requirement to leave a note containing pertinent information if the property owner is not present.
History[edit]
Hit-and-run laws were among the earliest traffic laws to be enacted after the invention of motor vehicles; they arose from the difficulties that early traffic collision victims faced in identifying perpetrators and bringing them to justice. Apart from the obvious ability of an automobile to flee the scene quickly (if still driveable), roads were unpaved and hence quite dusty, vehicles at the time did not have license plates, and drivers wore large goggles and dusters which effectively rendered them anonymous.[1]
Legal consequences[edit]
Legal consequences of a hit and run may include the suspension or cancellation of one's driver's license; lifetime revocation of a driver's license is possible in certain jurisdictions. It is frequently considered a criminal offense, which can be punished by fines and imprisonment. Insurance companies often raise the insurance costs or even void the policies of drivers involved in this offense.
Attempts to understand the mental state of the hit and run driver began soon after the offense became codified, in a paper titled "The Feebleminded Motorist" (1942)[2] and has been explored again in an article titled "The Psychology of Hit and Run" (2008).[3]
Country-specific penalties[edit]
Australia[edit]
Under Australian law, a driver involved in a crash must stop at the scene and give their information to all other drivers involved and anyone injured, as well as the owner and driver of any property damaged, and a police officer if: