“Careless” can be construed as negligence or failure to act with necessary prudence. Not showing or taking enough care and attention may lead to carelessness. The word careless is used to determine a standard of conduct under various branches of law. Meaning of careless per se remains same universally; however, one may find differences in statutory interpretation of the word across jurisdictions. Some of them being:
- Careless driving – According to NJ Rev Stat § 39:4-97 (2013), a person who drives a vehicle carelessly, or without due caution and circumspection, in a manner so as to endanger, or be likely to endanger, a person or property, shall be guilty of careless driving.
- Careless operation of vessel – According to NJ Rev Stat § 12:7-76 (2016), a person who operates a vessel on the waters of this State, without due caution and circumspection, in a manner that endangers, or is likely to endanger, a person or property shall be guilty of careless operation. Careless operation shall include, but need not be limited to, the loading of a vessel beyond the maximum capacity stated on the United States Coast Guard capacity label or the capacity label of the manufacturer affixed to the vessel.
- Careless use of explosives – According to LA Rev Stat § 40:1472.18 (2016), no person shall store, handle, dispose, transport, transfer, load, unload, or use explosives or blasting agents, as defined by R.S. 40:1472.2, in a careless or imprudent manner without regard for the hazards or circumstances in which the explosives or blasting agents are being stored, handled, disposed, transported, transferred, loaded, unloaded, or used.
[Last updated in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]