Virginia Reckless Driving Laws Lawyer Consequences & Penalties
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There are several reckless driving laws in Virginia, so make sure you hire a lawyer who has experience defending these types of cases in Virginia.
Reckless driving is a criminal offense in the state of Virginia as it creates the possibility of serious harm to potential victims. If charged and convicted for reckless driving it will be on your criminal record for life and on your driving record for eleven years.
Added to it, there is a possibility of you having to serve a jail term. In Virginia, rashly operating vehicle is on the same category as driving under the influence. This should tell you how serious this offense is in VA. In Virginia, traffic laws are taken very seriously and are have some of the harshest traffic laws in USA. The reason for such strict laws for rashly operating vehicle is to ensure that the streets remain safe of the citizens. Making rashly operating vehicle a criminal offense has ensured that people generally respect traffic laws.
In Virginia, rashly operating vehicle is charged as a class one misdemeanor. If you are charged with this class, you shall be subjected to harsh fines along with a jail sentence that may go up to a year. In some cases, it can be a felony offense. For it to be a felony offense, you should have caused serious bodily injury or death of another person. If you are charged with rashly operating vehicle, you should consult a lawyer to figure out the best defenses available to you.
Here are the reckless driving consequences and penalties:
Jail Time:
- In Virginia, you shall be punished for rashly operating vehicle with a jail sentence that may go up to one year. But if there have been repeated rashly operating vehicle convictions or has a bad riding history chances are that the jail term may be higher.
Fine:
- The maximum fine under Virginia law for rashly operating vehicle is $2,500. Depending on the case, an average reckless driving fine shall be $300 to $1,000.
License Suspension:
- If you are convicted for reckless driving, then chances are that your driver’s license may be suspended for ten days to six months. To get the motor vehicle operating license back, you need to abide by the conditions set forth by the judge and this includes completion of a driver improvement clinic. Further, you shall pay a reinstatement fee to the DMV.
Demerit Points:
- The point system followed in Virginia for drivers can be complex. Every driver starts at zero points and can gain positive points for good driving. For every conviction, DMV will assess six demerit points and the conviction will remain on your driving record for eleven years. If you collect too many demerit points too quickly, DMV shall order you to go to the improvement clinic or suspend the license altogether. If you have a driving license from another state, your home state would control the points.
In the state of Virginia, the main reckless driving charges are:
- Driving the vehicle in a manner that places others at risk, regardless of speed;
- Failing to have control of a vehicle;
- Driving at a speed that is 20 mph over the speed limit, or higher than 80 mph.
Other actions that are usually charged as reckless driving include, passing a stopped school bus, and drag racing.
If you have received a rashly operating vehicle ticket in Virginia, do not take it lightly. Get in touch with an attorney has experience defending clients with citations for violating driving laws right now!
Mr. Sris has defended over 1000 reckless driving cases in Virginia. C