Reckless Driving Ticket in Stafford, Virginia

[Sylence86]

Age: 20
Ticket: 2nd Offense

In May of 2006, I received a Reckless Driving ticket for a fender bender in Prince William County, Virginia due to rain and a sudden stop in traffic which caused me to slid and hit the person in front of me. I spoke with the officer about the situation and since it was a rear-end accident, he told me he didn’t have a choice but to give me a Reckless Driving ticket because of the situation. The officer also told me that since it was my first ticket that I could get my charge dropped from Reckless Driving to Improper Driving – Following too closely. A week or two after the accident, I went to Defensive Driving and took a Driving Improvement course voluntarily to try and better my situation. When my court date came around, I was prepared for the worst. I went into the courtroom and the judge dropped by charge from RD to Improper Driving, so I paid my fine and court fees and went on with my day.

Soon thereafter, 5 months later, in October of this year, I recently received another Reckless Driving ticket. This time I was going 85mph in a 65mph posted speed limit at 12:00am. The officer asked for my license and registration, which I handed over. I told him when handing my license that I was coming home for the weekend to get my license renewed since I did not have the proper documentation to do it while I was at school. He gave me the reckless driving ticket and told me to be on my way, despite that I was driving on a newly expired license (3 days overdue). With that all in mind, I am preparing for my court date, which is on the 11th of November and I need advice on how to go about this situation and what I should to better prepare myself for what I can expect in court.

Here are the questions that I need answers to:

I have checked online that I can take the driving improvement course again, but it won’t count toward any points since I have taken it before earlier in the year. Should I still take it over voluntarily or will it be a waste of my time and money?

Should I hire a lawyer?

What is the worst that can happen in this situation?

What can I do to get myself out of this situation?

Is there any way to get the charges dropped from RD or Improper Driving?

I need as much information as I can possibly get at this time, so I can be prepared for my court date next month. Thank you for your time.

[Mr. Knowitall]

If it were me, I would hire a lawyer. I don't have any easy answers for you.

[attorney_andrew]

I know this is a really old thread, but I wanted to post a response here for the benefit of future visitors.

Reckless driving is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia. Potential punishment includes up to a $2,500 fine, up to 12 months in jail, and license suspension up to 6 months. In addition, a reckless driving conviction is a 6 point DMV offense.

The good news is that an experienced traffic attorney can work with you to get your charge reduced or dismissed completely. Judges have a wide amount of discretion in deciding reckless driving cases. You might be able to get your charge reduced to "improper driving," which is a 3 point traffic infraction (not a misdemeanor).

In sum, anyone who is charged with Virginia reckless driving should contact a traffic lawyer. Most lawyers will provide a free consultation to give you an idea about your options and the fees involved.

For more info, check out my page on reckless driving defense. I regularly represent clients in Stafford, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania traffic court.