4.2 Myth?
Some crimes are not generally considered immoral, while opinions will differ on others. Is it immoral to cycle along a wide pavement to avoid a dangerous road junction?
A distinction can be made between crimes which are serious and clearly immoral, and those which are minor and not considered ‘truly’ criminal – often called regulatory offences.
Views about what is immoral can also change over time and vary widely between different people. For example, drink-driving (driving a vehicle after consuming more than a minimal amount of alcohol) was not considered ‘truly’ criminal a few decades ago. However, public opinion changed as people became more aware of the consequences of drink-driving. Now, many people would consider it a ‘true’ crime and an immoral act.