A momentary lapse. We have all had them behind the wheel.
Thinking a little too long about that one troubling thing, reaching
for something you or your passenger (maybe a child) has dropped,
searching for a radio station a little too long, becoming too
engaged in a conversation, nodding off, using a smartphone . . .
running a stop sign.
Sometimes we are lucky during these momentary lapses (no
oncoming traffic, or the intersection is empty); sometimes we are
unlucky, or extremely unlucky and the consequences are severe.
When are these "lapses" criminal and when are they a
mere traffic violation? Two recent and important cases offer
assistance in answering this question for the motoring public and
professional drivers. They establish that even a very brief period
of inattention can attract criminal liability.
