Virginia Reckless Driving Attorney

If you or somebody you care about has been charged with reckless driving in Virginia, you need to turn to a skilled and experienced attorney to help with your case. Reckless driving charges are serious, classified as misdemeanors, and can result in significant penalties. At Randall, Page & Bruch, P.C., our Virginia reckless driving defense attorneys will conduct a full investigation into your case and work to get the charges against you reduced or dismissed altogether.

Unlike speeding tickets, Reckless Driving is treated as a criminal offense that can result in drivers’ license suspensions, large fines, and jail time. If you have a commercial driver’s license a conviction for reckless driving will almost certainly lead to a suspension or revocation of your CDL. In some jurisdictions, you are required to appear in court before the judge will hear the case. Some states will suspend your license if you are convicted of Reckless Driving in Virginia.

This is a misdemeanor, not a traffic citation;
For drivers licensed in Virginia, it carries six demerit points;
It cannot be prepaid;
It carries a maximum fine of $2,500;
It can lead to a six-month license suspension;
It can lead to a maximum of twelve months in jail.

Reckless Driving by Speed

If you are traveling at a speed more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit you may receive a ticket for Reckless Driving.
If you are traveling at a speed of over 80 miles per hour regardless of the speed limit that is considered Reckless Driving Speed, which can carry a more significant fine than the 20 miles per hour over the violation.
If you are traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour, that is also a Reckless Driving Charge for which you may very well receive jail time.

Reckless Driving by Speed

If you are in an accident most law enforcement jurisdictions will find an individual at fault and issue a traffic ticket, commonly they will issue a Reckless Driving ticket.
Our attorneys are very successful at getting these particular Reckless Driving Charges dismissed.
Failure to Yield Right of Way is a Reckless Driving Ticket that many receive for an Accident.
Failure to Give a Proper Signal is another Reckless Driving charge often resulting from an Accident.

Other Reckless Driving Charges

Passing on or at the crest of a grade or on a curve: Regardless of how the road is marked passing in this manner is Reckless Driving.
Driving with driver’s view obstructed or control impaired: Bending down to look at your phone, items hanging from your rearview, etc….
Passing two vehicles abreast: If two vehicles are side by side and you pass them it is Reckless Driving.
Driving two abreast in a single lane: With the exception of motorcycles, tow vehicles cannot travel side by side in a single lane.
Passing at a railroad grade crossing: It is Reckless Driving if you pass while on railroad tracks.
Passing a stopped school bus; when the yellow or red lights are flashing.
Passing on a Double Yellow or White Line.
Crossing a Safety Zone. A safety zone is the triangular-shaped lines with lines across them, mostly found when merging on a highway from another highway. If you cut across this area to get in the other lane it is Reckless Driving.
Failing to give proper signals resulting in a crash is Reckless Driving
Driving too fast for highway and traffic conditions; regardless of the speed limit. This takes into account weather, road work, traffic, etc…
Reckless driving on parking lots; any actions that are unsafe in a public or private parking lot can be charged Reckless Driving.

Possible defenses to reckless driving in Virginia

If you or somebody you love has been charged with reckless driving, turn to the traffic citation attorneys at Randall, Page & Bruch, P.C. today. There are various defense strategies that could be employed for your case. While no two reckless driving cases are alike, our attorneys could attempt to build the following defenses, depending on the circumstances of your case:

Showing that you are not the one driving: This could be a strong defense because the prosecution must have proof that you were the one actually operating the vehicle at the time the reckless driving occurred.
Arguing that the driving was careless and not reckless: While careless driving can also be considered a traffic violation, this is a much less serious offense than reckless driving. Careless driving is not considered a misdemeanor, will not have the same significant consequences, and will not count for as many points against your license.
Arguing that an emergency situation warranted your driving behavior: Your attorney could argue that any alleged reckless driving was the result of an emergency situation that presented a threat to you or another party. For example, if you had to turn into a parking lot abruptly because a pedestrian darted in front of you, this fact could be used to defend your case.
Arguing your behavior was negligent, not reckless: Similar to arguing that you were operating carelessly, negligent driving is still going to generally be considered less serious than reckless driving. Negligence implies unintentional behavior, whereas reckless driving is typically seen as intentional.
Arguing or disproving your alleged speed: In some cases, reckless driving is charged when a person is operating their vehicle at very high speeds. In these cases, law enforcement authorities need to show that the instruments they used to measure your speed were calibrated properly. This defense can be particularly effective if your alleged high rate of speed is the only reason you received a reckless driving charge.

Because every reckless driving situation is different, these are just possible general defenses that an attorney may be able to use on your behalf. At Randall, Page & Bruch, P.C., our Virginia reckless driving attorneys will conduct a complete investigation into the charges levied against you as they build the best defense strategy possible for your situation.

Our attorneys have handled countless reckless driving cases both speed and non-speed related. If you are charged with reckless driving in Greensville, Suffolk, Southampton, Brunswick, Mecklenburg, Newport News, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, or any jurisdiction in Virginia contact our attorneys today to assist you. We will diligently work to get your case either dismissed, reduced to a regular speeding ticket or Improper Driving, a charge only a Judge can reduce to once we prove that your particular case consisted of slight negligence. The Court, in its discretion, may find you not guilty of Reckless Driving but guilty of Improper Driving, which is a significantly lesser charge than Reckless Driving.
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