Fairfax Virginia considers reckless driving as a serious offense and therefore, it is classified as misdemeanor class 1. The drivers often get confused between a reckless driving by speeding ticket and a simple speeding ticket.
What is the difference between reckless driving and speeding ticket?
In Fairfax, Virginia, there is two kind of speeding laws:
- Absolute Laws:
- As per the absolute speeding law of Fairfax Virginia, if a driver is caught speeding above the specified speed limit the police officer will give a speeding ticket.
- Basic speeding Laws:
- The basic Speeding law states that the drivers are bounded to the speed limit mentioned in Virginia speeding law on every route/highway.
If a person is given a speeding ticket in Fairfax, Virginia, he has to pay the fine amount to get rid of the ticket. However, reckless driving is considered as a criminal offense in Virginia and is not dealt in a similar way. It is advised that a person who is charged with a reckless driving ticket should hire an attorney to represent him in the court hearing, as reckless driving carries hefty penalties.
According to the Fairfax, Virginia, law code, section 46.2 – 862:
“A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of twenty miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit or (ii) in excess of eighty miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit”
13 Reckless driving acts, which can lead to a reckless driving ticket
- General reckless driving
- Reckless driving by speed
- Recklessly crossing a vehicle in the same lane
- Recklessly driving a vehicle with a faulty break
- Recklessly driving along with a vehicle in the same lane
- Recklessly driving an overloaded vehicle
- Recklessly driving close to a children school bus
- Recklessly driving in the parking lots
- Recklessly driving irrespective of the road signals
- Recklessly driving on a curving road
- Recklessly driving on the roads of Virginia irrespective of speed
- Recklessly passing a railroad
- Recklessly racing on the highway of Virginia
What factors are considered by the judge to determine reckless driving penalties?
The Judges in Fairfax Virginia consider many factors before deciding the penalty for any criminal offense. For a reckless driving charge, the judge regards the following factors:
- What scale of the reckless driving offense is committed by the driver
- The aspect of reckless driving
- The prior driving record of the driver
- The location where the reckless driving offense took place
- How guilty the driver is of committing the reckless driving act and what measures he took to eradicate such unpleasant incidents in future such as taking a driving education course or doing a community service.
How can a reckless driving Fairfax Virginia lawyer help you in mitigating your ticket charges?
If you are held by the police for any criminal offense, you should immediately ask for a professional help. Reckless driving in Fairfax Virginia is considered as a criminal offense and thus, only a qualified and skilled Fairfax Virginia reckless driving advocate can persuade the judges.