Virginia Speeding and reckless driving laws are so strict that they might even give you a shock. A person who is not living in Virginia but he is just passing by the state can even face the charges of reckless driving in Virginia. Therefore it is important for a person to understand the severity of these laws in Virginia.
Speeding ticket Vs Reckless Driving Ticket
It is important for a driver to understand that there is a difference between a speeding ticket and reckless driving ticket. The major and most important difference is that a speeding ticket is acknowledged under the traffic violation law whereas a reckless driving ticket is considered to be a criminal defense. Speeding issue is ignored in many states and a person just gets a speeding ticket which can easily be paid later on and it can cost him merely $250, however, things are treated differently in Virginia. Individuals assumes to get a speeding ticket however they end up being charged for a criminal offense which can cost them more than just heavy monetary fine.
Penalties of reckless driving
Common penalties for minor and major reckless driving offense:
- Imprisonment: people can even face jail time for extreme reckless driving offense and their record of reckless driving.
- Cancellation of the driving license: In similar extreme and rare case the Virginia court can cancel the driving license of driver.
- Heavy fines from $300 to $1000: The fines of reckless driving differs from the fines of just speeding ticket. The court gives a leverage of 30 days to the offenders to pay their fines against their reckless driving charges.
- High insurance premiums: A reckless driving ticket can increase the insurance rate for the individual.
Reckless driving prohibits any driver in Virginia for going beyond the speed limit of 70 mph or 20 mph over any speed limit. It is important that one should ask the officer which ticket he is issuing as majority of police officers do not disclose it to avoid arguments or they just adds RD to the ticket. According to the data extracted in 2014, during the holiday season of thanksgiving, out of 2312 were charged for reckless driving and another 9789 individual were given a ticket for speeding. While in another holiday season in summer 2014, the Virginia police charged 2673 individuals for reckless driving.
What to do if you are given a reckless driving ticket?
It is important that you check your ticket or ask the police officer for the details of the ticket without any unnecessary argument. Once you are aware of the fact that you are given a reckless driving ticket by the officer of a major or minor reckless driving offense, you can get this information in the law section of your ticket. Once you are sure that you are given a reckless driving ticket you should immediately get in contact with any experienced reckless driving lawyer to beat the ticket or at least minimize the damages. You and the lawyer can later decide the strategies to adopt in the court and how to get away with minimum damages. The charged individuals should understand the importance of hiring a local lawyer for his defense as the local attorney is aware of the penalties and loopholes through which an individual can mitigate the damages.