Firstly,
lonedad I must confess to not having read all of this thread. Sometimes threads such as this become a little diverted from the main issue and this one certainly seems to have done so here and there. I�ve only read your question and the last few answers.
I must say that if your description of events is accurate, then Dangerous Driving does seem an inappropriate charge. It is quite true that there is only one word difference in the legal definition of the two offences, but the CPS has charging guidelines and the episode you describe does not, in my view, equate with the CPS version of dangerous driving:
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_ manual/dangerous_driving/index.html
Suggesting that you opt for a Crown Court trial when, presumably, magistrates had accepted jurisdiction, was a very strange piece of advice from your solicitor. You will not find too many advocates who adopt such an approach, especially on the grounds you quote (...�middle class shopkeepers...� etc.). He should know (and should have advised you) that, apart from the possibility of a harsher sentence and heavier costs if you are convicted, conviction rates in magistrates� courts are actually lower than in the Crown Court. Nonetheless, judges and magistrates use broadly similar guidelines for this offence (certainly at the lower end of seriousness, which this is). In originally accepting jurisdiction the shopkeepers must have believed their sentencing powers were sufficient, so even if you are convicted you should not received a harsher sentence than they could impose.
From your description I believe you are guilty of careless driving (a �momentary lapse�). I would be interested to learn the outcome.