Speedometer Calibration in Fairfax Reckless Driving Cases
A speedometer calibration is performed by mechanics and it’s a procedure that measures the accuracy of your vehicle’s speedometer. The mechanics test whether the speedometer is properly calibrated. The procedure comes with a report showing whether the speedometer was off and if so, by how many miles per hour. In many speed-related cases, a speedometer calibration can be helpful if it shows that the calibration was not correct at the time of the incident. A Fairfax reckless driving lawyer can explain how a speedometer calibration can be beneficial in a Fairfax reckless driving case.
Getting a Speedometer Calibrated
Most auto-mechanics perform speedometer calibrations, and some driving schools perform them as well. The cost is usually approximately $75. The price isn’t exorbitant, and should someone’s speedometer be calibrated incorrectly when they were pulled over, it will be a very valuable defense for someone who has been charged with reckless driving.
How Speedometer Calibrations Can Impact a Reckless Driving Case
If someone’s speedometer is off and was measuring their speed as lower than it actually was, then this provides an argument that part of the reason for their speeding was the reading of the incorrect speedometer.
This can often result in the judge adjusting the speed charge by the amount that the speedometer was off by. For a reckless driving case where the speed charged was close to the line between a criminal charge or a traffic infraction, this can make a big difference. A speedometer calibration can be enough evidence to have the charge reduced to a much more manageable and less serious offense. A Fairfax reckless driving lawyer can use speedometer calibration to help facilitate this charge reduction in a Fairfax reckless driving case.
Faulty Speedometers and Negation of Fault in Fairfax
If someone’s speedometer is off, there is still a possibility that they could be at fault for speeding. The fact that that person’s speedometer is not properly calibrated does not necessarily get them out of being at fault for it. For example, if the speedometer is off by a very high amount, then a judge is less likely to believe that someone wouldn’t have noticed the inaccuracy. Or, if the speedometer is off by very little, but the speed the defendant is charged with is over the speed limit by a very great amount, then the faulty calibration won’t make much difference in the case. However, a faulty speedometer can be used in some speeding cases as a mitigating factor, assuming that there is no evidence that demonstrates that the driver was aware that the speedometer wasn’t properly calibrated.
Speedometer calibrations are not necessarily helpful in every single type of speed-related reckless driving case. A Fairfax reckless driving attorney will be able to explain if your case is one in which the speedometer calibration could make a positive difference. An attorney with experience can help someone determine if a speedometer calibration would be valuable for your defense.