The state of Virginia has some of the toughest penalties for speeding/reckless driving in the country. Motorists can receive fines, a criminal record, license suspensions, and even jail time for even relatively minor speeding infractions. But now, the state's transportation department is considering raising speed limits on some Virginia highways.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has stated that it may hike some speed limits on Interstates 81 and 64 in west central Virginia just northwest of Lynchburg. But VDOT officials stress that these limits will not be changed on all portions of these two interstates.

Areas Targeted For Increased Speed Limits

The parts of these two highways that are being mulled for an increase in speed limits are: 

  • I-81 in Botetourt County; and
  • I-64 in Alleghany County 


State police officials stress that a "highway safety corridor," where drivers cannot exceed 60 miles per hour, will remain intact on these interstates.

VDOT also says that it will ask for input from police agencies to determine if elevating the speed limit is feasible. The transportation department will also look at other factors, such as the number of interstate entrance and exit ramps and the frequency of accidents in targeted areas, before making a final decision on the speed limit issue.

Securing Legal Representation for a Virginia Speeding Ticket

Virginia Reckless Speeding Lawyer Bob Battle understands the drastic and unfair consequences that a conviction could have on both Virginia licensed motorists and out-of-state motorists caught in one of Virginia's "Yankee speed traps" as they drive through Virginia for business or vacation.

If you have been ticketed for Reckless Driving Speeding in Virginia, there is no time to waste! Get a free copy of Bob Battle's consumer guide, The Shocking Truth About Reckless Driving/Speeding in Virginia. Or, contact 804-673-5600 to schedule your legal consultation today.

Urgent: the Clock is Ticking!

From the moment you are charged with a DUI, the clock begins to tick.

  • If you want to try to get your license back, you have less than 5 days to hire a lawyer.
  • Your trial date is almost always less than 2 months from the date you were charged and, thus, waiting just 14 days to hire a lawyer could severely handicap your defense

Former Prosecutor Bob Battle reveals the TRUTH about lawyer website hype & B.S.! His FREE Consumer Guide "How to Choose a DUI Lawyer in Virginia" arms you with the 10 Questions you must ask to have the best chance of winning your DUI case. Don't hire Bob Battle or ANY lawyer until you get straight answers to these questions, including: 

  • Who is going to be my lawyer at trial? (p. 20)
  • What are his/her qualifications?
  • Are they AV rated? "AV" = Highest rating possible for Legal Ability and Ethics (p. 22)
  • Are they a former prosecutor?
  • Where did they prosecute? (p. 24)

Time is short. A DUI conviction has the potential to ruin your job, family, life, and freedom. Get your FREE copy today!

 

Bob Battle
Bob Battle
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100% of my practice is devoted to serious traffic defense and criminal litigation in state and federal courts
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Repeal_The_Va_Radar_Detector_Ban 08/11/2010 04:07 PM
As you may know, Virginia is the only state that bans the use and sale of detectors. There is no evidence that the detector ban increases highway safety. Our nation’s fatality rates have fallen consistently for almost two decades. Virginia’s fatality rate has also fallen, but not any more dramatically than it has nationwide. Research has even shown that radar detector owners have a lower accident rate than motorists who do not own a detector. Maintaining the ban is not in the best interest of Virginians or visitors to the state. I know and know of people that will not drive in Virginia due to this ban. Unjust enforcement practices are not unheard of, and radar detectors can keep safe motorists from being exploited by abusive speed traps. Likewise, the ban has a negative impact on Virginia’s business community. Electronic distributors lose business to neighboring states and Virginia misses out on valuable sales tax revenue. Radar detector bans do not work. Research and experience show that radar detector bans do not result in lower accident rates, improved speed-limit compliance or reduce auto insurance expenditures. • The Virginia radar detector ban is difficult and expensive to enforce. The Virginia ban diverts precious law enforcement resources from more important duties. • Radar detectors are legal in the rest of the nation, in all 49 other states. In fact, the first state to test a radar detector ban, Connecticut, repealed the law – it ruled the law was ineffective and unfair. It is time for our Virginia to join the rest of the nation. • It has never been shown that radar detectors cause accidents or even encourage motorists to drive faster than they would otherwise. The Yankelovich – Clancy – Shulman Radar Detector Study conducted in 1987, showed that radar detector users drove an average of 34% further between accidents (233,933 miles versus 174,554 miles) than non radar detector users. The study also showed that they have much higher seat belt use compliance. If drivers with radar detectors have fewer accidents, it follows that they have reduced insurance costs – it is counterproductive to ban radar detectors. • In a similar study performed in Great Britain by MORI in 2001 the summary reports that "Users (of radar detectors) appear to travel 50% further between accidents than non-users. In this survey the users interviewed traveling on average 217,353 miles between accidents compared to 143,401 miles between accidents of those non-users randomly drawn from the general public." The MORI study also reported "Three quarters agree, perhaps unsurprisingly, that since purchasing a radar detector they have become more conscious about keeping to the speed limit..." and "Three in five detector users claim to have become a safer driver since purchasing a detector." • Modern radar detectors play a significant role in preventing accidents and laying the technology foundation for the Safety Warning System® (SWS). Radar detectors with SWS alert motorists to oncoming emergency vehicles, potential road hazards, and unusual traffic conditions. There are more than 10 million radar detectors with SWS in use nationwide. The federal government has earmarked $2.1 million for further study of the SWS over a three-year period of time. The U.S. Department of Transportation is administering grants to state and local governments to purchase the SWS system and study its effectiveness (for example, in the form of SWS transmitters for school buses and emergency vehicles). The drivers of Virginia deserve the right to the important safety benefits that SWS delivers. *** A small surcharge($5-$10) or tax(2%-3%) could be added to the price of the device to make-up for any possible loss of revenue from reduced number of speeding tickets and the loss of tickets written for radar detectors.*** Please sign this petition and help repeal this ban and give drivers in Virginia the freedom to know if they are under surveillance and to use their property legally: www.stoptheban.org http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/repeal-the-virginia-radar-detector-ban
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