ALEXANDRIA RECKLESS DRIVING LAWYER (46.2-862)

If you are convicted of reckless driving, it will affect your car insurance rates, your employment possibilities, and your driving privilege.  As an Alexandria reckless driving lawyer, I can fight your traffic violation in court. 

read below how to fight a reckless driving ticket in court

Honestly, being charged with a reckless driving ticket violation in Virginia can be stressful and concerning knowing that upon conviction, it will stay in your driving record for 11 years.

Let our Alexandria reckless driving lawyer fight your reckless driving charge in court.  

In Virginia, reckless driving is a class 1 misdemeanor. 

For most traffic violations, you can prepay a small fine and forget about it. 

However, reckless driving is a different beast entirely.

Because it is a class 1 misdemeanor and not a simple moving violation, the offense will have to go to court and can result in jail time of up to a year and a fine of up to $2,500. 

What is Reckless Driving in Alexandria?

§46.2-852 is Virginia’s law on reckless driving. 

Essentially, reckless driving is when you handle your car in a way that poses a threat to the life, limb, or property of others. 

To help determine whether driving was reckless, police can gather witness testimony and analyze the damaged property. 

Virginia can press charges for reckless driving against you even if you are the only person who was injured in an accident. 

If you have questions on how police determine reckless driving, call the attorneys at American Lawyers Group.

Other Ways to be Charge Reckless Driving

Virginia, including Alexandria, allows reckless driving to be established in several ways in addition to being a danger to life, limb, or property.  

Two of these ways include speeding so much faster than the speed limit that Virginia believes the driving is reckless. 

Firstly, if you are speeding in excess of 20 mph over the posted speed limit, you could receive a reckless driving charge. 

For example, driving at 75 mph in a 55 mph zone, you could be charged with reckless driving. 

Additionally, driving faster than 80 mph anywhere in Virginia can be reckless driving. 

The police officer who pulled you over has great discretion when deciding to give you a simple speeding ticket or a reckless driving charge. 

Having a record of speeding offenses will likely impact the decision of the officer to give you the more or less severe charge.

List of The Different Reckless Driving Tickets Defended by Our Alexandria Reckless Driving Attorneys

Additionally, driving without control of the vehicle is reckless driving.  Passing a stopped school bus that has its “STOP” sign out is reckless driving. 

Failing to yield when you enter a highway is reckless driving. 

If you drive with your view obstructed, that is reckless driving. 

Failure to use your turn signals can be reckless driving as well.

Virginia has decided that many things can constitute reckless driving. 

If you have questioned whether certain behavior could be reckless driving, call the Alexandria reckless driving attorneys at American Lawyers Group.

Other Charges & Reckless Driving

Because simple moving violations are not affected by double jeopardy, Virginia can charge you with many crimes for a single offense.

A police officer can, for example, charge you with reckless driving and give you a speeding ticket when you are pulled over for driving too fast. 

These charges largely hinge on the discretion of the police officer at the time and will be affected by your history of driving offenses. 

If you are facing multiple charges of speeding and reckless driving, call the attorneys at American Lawyers Group.

Penalties for Reckless Driving

Virginia classifies reckless driving as a class 1 misdemeanor.  In Virginia, class 1 misdemeanors carry up to 1 year in jail as well as fines of up to $2,500. 

In addition, a conviction of reckless driving will put points on your driver’s license. 

If you get too many points added in a short time span, you could have to take mandatory driving classes and potentially lose your license temporarily. 

Your insurance rates will also be affected by a reckless driving conviction. 

Because your driving history is used to help determine your insurance rate, a reckless driving conviction will lead to higher insurance costs.

Finally, you have to disclose reckless driving convictions to employers when asked if you have ever been convicted of a crime. 

You do not normally have to disclose such information for most traffic violations, but reckless driving is different and taken far more seriously than other traffic violations.

Why You Should Hire an Alexandria Reckless Driving Lawyer?

Reckless driving encompasses many different kinds of driving behavior. 

Passing a school bus under certain circumstances or driving at 80 mph can both be reckless driving. 

Being convicted of reckless driving can increase insurance prices, add points to your driver’s license, and negatively affect your employment options. 

If you are facing Alexandria’s reckless driving charges, contact the attorneys at American Lawyers Group.