Virginia is often known for its hard traffic citations. Some of the citations are considered as criminal charges and come with serious consequences. The reckless driving laws in Virginia are a good example of this. If your driver’s permit is not from Common Wealth, and you received an order for reckless driving in Virginia, you might be thinking if a traffic sentence in Virginia will go to your home state’s driving record. Thousands of out of state drivers pass through Virginia for business or entertainment on a daily basis. Some of them have the bad luck of being accused with reckless driving while in Virginia. Traffic crimes are well-known for “traveling” back to the accused’s home state and causing complications there.
Virginia can be a great place for a family road trip, but the fun can be ruined when you are pulled over by a police officer for speeding or passing on a grade and ends up charged with reckless driving. Out of state drivers can be surprised to learn that reckless driving is a delinquency in Virginia, and they’re facing not just a traffic ticket, but a criminal charge which can be punished with jail time and affect their driver’s permit back home. The most common way to be charged with reckless driving in Virginia is for speeding over 80 mph or else 20 mph over the displayed speed limit. Another common way to be accused with reckless driving is to get into a mishap that causes damage or substantial property damage.
Reckless driving typically is a severe misdemeanor crime in Virginia. The consequences include:
- One year in jail
- A fine of $2,500
- Demerit points
- Driver’s license suspension
- Increased insurance premiums
- A lasting criminal record
- More chance of being found accountable in a civil suit if your reckless driving cause an accident
Reckless Driving Charges for Out-of-State Drivers
An out-of-state driver who’s charged with reckless driving in Virginia should contact a Virginia reckless driving attorney as soon as possible. Whether they need to appear in front of court depends on how fast they were going. Some judges in Virginia will excuse an out-of-state driver charged with reckless driving from appearing in court if the speed is close to the line among speeding and reckless. The best thing to do is to contact a reckless driving defense lawyer to see if it’s likely for you to ignore your presence or not.