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Reckless driving is a serious traffic violation: Know your rights

Posted on November 30, 2018 in

There is never a good time to see police lights in your rearview mirror. If you’re pulled to the side of the road for a traffic violation, it’s imperative to know your legal rights and the steps you can take to protect them.

Reckless driving is among the most serious type of traffic violation. With this, you’re pulled over for willful disregard for safety.

Penalties can include but are not necessarily limited to loss of license, a hefty fine and even incarceration.

What does reckless driving look like?

The best way to avoid a reckless driving charge is to follow the rules of the road at all times. Unfortunately, mistakes can and do happen when you’re driving. Some of the most common forms of reckless driving include:

  • Racing another vehicle
  • Excessive speeding, typically driving 25 mph or more over the speed limit
  • Attempting to evade a police officer who is trying to pull you over
  • Illegal passing, such as on a two-lane highway over a solid traffic line

As you can see from these examples, reckless driving is much more dangerous than many other types of traffic violations, such as rolling through a stop sign.

If you receive a ticket for reckless driving, you may be tempted to pay it right away to put the situation in the past. However, if you do this, you could end up paying more money down the road, by way of a higher insurance premium. You also run the risk of losing your license if points against your license build up through multiple tickets.

A reckless driving ticket doesn’t necessarily result in a conviction, so learn more about the defense strategies you can use to escape trouble.