Top 10 Things to Know About Your Reckless Driving Ticket in Virginia

Since the speed limit on many of Virginia’s Highways are now at 70 mph, we are seeing more and more of our clients with reckless driving tickets. Many who get reckless driving tickets are out of towners – from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina – our clients come from all over the place. And many are shocked to find out that speeding just 11 miles over the speed limit can land you in jail (if the posted speed limit is 70 mph). It’s so easy to go over 80 miles per hour nowadays since the speed limit is 70 in many places, and we’re also seeing people just going 20 over no matter what the speed limit is. Whether you got carried away going 76 mph on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on your way to a beach vacation or you’re a local who forgot to set your cruise control, here are the top ten things you need to know about reckless driving in Virginia:

1. It’s a Class 1 misdemeanor. This means the maximum punishment is up to a year in jail and a $2500 fine, if convicted.
2. Reckless driving means driving at a speed of 20 mph or more over the posted speed limit, or at any speed in excess of 80 mph.
3. If you’re found guilty of reckless driving, your driver’s license can be suspended.
4. If you’re found guilty of reckless driving, you can also be on probation for two years.
5. Your speedometer should be calibrated before you go to court, but be careful – sometimes a calibration can work against you; make sure you analyze it correctly!
6. A reckless driving conviction causes negative points on your DMV driving record.
7. Your insurance will likely go up if you get convicted of reckless driving in Virginia Beach or other cities in the area, like Norfolk, Chesapeake, etc.
8. The police officer who pulled you over and gave you a reckless driving ticket must have his radar calibrated before and after his shift.
9. Doing a driver improvement course will put positive points back on your driving record and may help your case in court.
10. You can waive your right to a lawyer in court, but due to the seriousness of a reckless driving ticket, you shouldn’t.

Reckless driving is more than just a speeding ticket. The consequences are serious, so you should take it seriously.