Below, an Arlington reckless driving lawyer discusses what constitutes reckless driving in Virginia. If you have been charged schedule a free consultation today to learn how an attorney can help you.
Reckless Driving is a criminal offense in Virginia and it encompasses numerous different types of driving behavior. One type of Reckless Driving is known as “general reckless driving”, that is when someone is driving a vehicle on a highway in a manner that endangers the life, limb, or property of any person.
It is also Reckless Driving if someone drives in excess of 80 miles per hour or if they are caught going 20 miles or more above the speed limit. The Virginia code lists several other offenses that are considered Reckless Driving. They include racing, passing a school bus, passing on a crest of a hill, passing at a railroad crossing, driving too fast for conditions, months in jail, a fine of $2,500, and your license can be suspended for a and failing to give a proper signal amongst other offenses.
If you’re charged with Reckless Driving in Arlington, Virginia you’re facing a criminal offense—not just a traffic infraction. It means that you are subject to the same punishment as for other misdemeanors, including a period to up to twelve months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The court can also suspend your license for a period of time not to exceed six months. So it is treated as a serious offense with serious consequences.
In Arlington is unique in the number of highways that run through the County and the high amount of pedestrian traffic in some areas of the County. Arlington also has a highly trained and educated police force who tend to testify very well in court.
Additionally, Arlington also has a heavy focus on cracking down on drunk drivers, and one indication of that could be someone driving recklessly, so they are not likely to ignore someone driving recklessly. You might feel like you’re going along with the speed of traffic, but in fact are driving recklessly.
Arlington is also somewhat unique in that reckless driving cases where the driver is traveling 90 miles per hour or above almost without fail result in active jail time if the driver is convicted. Prosecutors are present in almost every reckless driving case that takes place in the Arlington Courthouse, which is different from other jurisdictions where there is no prosecutor.