If you exceed a speed of 85 mph in Virginia, you can be charged with reckless driving. Is it also considered reckless driving to exceed the speed limit by 20 mph or more. Therefore, if you are driving 75 mph in a 55 mph speed zone, then you may be charged with reckless driving.
Virginia's Reckless Driving Speeding law is found at Virginia Code § 46.2-862. It states:
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§ 46.2-862. Exceeding speed limit. A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of 20 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit or (ii) in excess of 85 miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit. |
If you are charged with reckless driving in Virginia, you may want to get the professional help of a reckless driving attorney. An experienced attorney may be able to beat your reckless driving charges.
Now that the speed limit has changed to 70 mph on many Virginia state highways, it is much more likely for someone to be charged with reckless driving as the 85 mph cut off is still in place. This means that if you are driving in a 70 mph zone, and you exceed the speed limit by just 16 mph, then you may be charged with reckless driving.
In Virginia, reckless driving is considered a serious criminal offense. As a class 1 misdemeanor, a conviction of this will leave you with a permanent criminal record. The penalties for reckless driving speeding in Virginia include:
- Court costs and fines;
- Time in jail;
- A suspension of your driver's license; and
- A significant increase in your insurance rates.
If you are charged with driving at a speed of 90 mph or above, you may receive 2 days in jail for every mph over 90 that you were driving. If you exceed a speed of 100 mph, then you may get as much as 30 days in jail added to the previous total.
How Can a Virginia Reckless Driving Attorney Help Me?
Reckless Driving is not merely a traffic infraction. It is a criminal offense, a class 1 misdemeanor, the most serious class of misdemeanor in Virginia with maximum penalties of 1 year in jail, $2,500 fine, and a 6-month suspension of your driver's license.
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.
