Dinwiddie Reckless Driving Penalties

Reckless driving is a very serious offense in Dinwiddie. Generally, reckless driving is someone traveling over 80 miles an hour or going 20 or miles more over the speed limit. Depending on a person’s speed, it can carry jail time, license suspension, and significant fines. The Dinwiddie reckless driving penalties that an individual may face are higher than they would be for a regular speeding offense. If you have been charged with reckless driving, seek the legal counsel of an accomplished reckless driving lawyer who can help you contest your ticket.

Difference Between Reckless Driving and Speeding

The most important difference between a reckless driving ticket and a speeding ticket is a distinction between a reckless driving ticket as a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is a criminal offense, and a speeding ticket, which is a traffic infraction. It is not the same level of charge as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

There is also the difference in points. Reckless driving carries six points in Virginia and stays on a person’s record for 11 years. A speeding charge carries three and stays on a person’s record for five years, so a reckless driving ticket is going to have a much longer effect on insurance.

It should be on the ticket. There have been having a lot of problems locally with law enforcement writing RD and expecting drivers to realize that means reckless driving. A lot of people assume that means their speed was gauged by radar. That has been an issue. Individuals should look up the code that is on their ticket to see if they are charged with reckless driving as opposed to speeding.

Why Would a Person Need to Appear in Court

There are a couple of different scenarios that would require a person to appear in court. If a person is arrested for reckless driving, for example, they are going 100, generally, it is the Southern Virginia standard that they will likely be arrested. If a person is arrested, they will be bonded. If they give a bond, they will be required to go back to court as a requirement of meeting that bond. Some people have terrible records and if they are going at the higher speed, the judge will probably not give them a break. Sometimes people have to appear in court to show the judge how seriously they take the charge, particularly if they are from out of state. It is not common to have people appear for reckless driving. If they want to plead not guilty and go through the facts, they need to show up.

Penalties for Reckless Driving

There is a sliding scale as to whether or not they are going to be looking just at significant fines and points or potentially significant fines, points, license suspensions, and jail time. Speeding is the most common scenario for people charged with reckless driving. There are some other tickets associated with accidents and other reckless driving behaviors, like passing one vehicle at a time, but speeding is by far the most common.The maximum Dinwiddie reckless driving penalties are a fine of up to $2,500, license suspension of up to six months, and jail time of up to 12 months. Jail time is half-time as long as the person has good behavior. It carries six points.

Value of a Local Attorney

A local attorney can let you know what to expect when it comes to your reckless driving case. They should have a good rapport with local enforcement in which they may get favors for clients that you could not have gotten on your own, particularly if you are in a tense situation on the side of the road. Attorneys can give you an idea of what the judges usually do, however they can never predict 100%. It takes some of the mystery out the situation. Having a good working relationship with prosecutors can only help with reckless driving, in Dinwiddie, they do not get involved in the lowered speeds. Furthermore, a capable lawyer can protect your rights and mitigate the Dinwiddie reckless driving penalties you face. Call a Dinwiddie VA reckless driving lawyer today.