What Is The Penalty For a Reckless Driving Violation

In a broad sense, the penalties suffered from a guilty conviction for a reckless driving violation vary from state to state, and in most cases, also vary based on the degree of severity of the specific incident. In general a reckless driving conviction is considered a misdemeanor, meaning it is punishable by no more than 1 year imprisonment and a 5,000 dollar fine.

What Constitutes a Reckless Driving Charge?

Reckless driving can exist:

If any vehicle, regardless of size, purpose, or intended function, is found to be operated in a manner deemed unsafe or careless, or
If the manner in which the vehicle is being used could potentially cause injury to anyone in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle

Incidents such as racing on public streets or highways, excessive speeding, or driving in a manner without regard to road conditions or traffic regulations are all examples of reckless driving. In cases where an accident occurs, the reckless driving charge can be intensified simply because of the fact that damage to property or physical harm has taken place.

Possible Penalties for a Reckless Driving Conviction

Since a reckless driving conviction is often considered more serious or more significant than most other traffic violations due to the potentially hazardous nature of the offense, often times the penalties and fines can be more severe and less flexible than one might imagine. As stated, each state determines these penalties, and most jurisdictions include:

Fines, especially in more serious cases. The fines for this infraction can be severe.
The court can opt to suspend the offender’s driver’s license, or in some cases even revoke it.
A judge can order the offender to participate in driver’s education classes, and make the offender pay the class fee.
In more severe cases, especially those that resulted in harm to another person or damage to property, the court will order jail time of up to one year’s imprisonment.

Sentencing in Reckless Driving Cases

Regardless of the location of the offense, a reckless driving charge will be taken into very serious consideration by the court. This specific violation can cover a broad description of actions, so the judge will carefully examine all of the details in the case before coming to his or her conclusion in sentencing. The number of previous offenses of this nature will also be taken into consideration, meaning if the offender already has a reckless driving conviction on their previous record it’s a good possibility that a jail sentence will be imposed.

Getting Help

When you are accused of reckless driving, consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Your lawyer can help you take the steps necessary to fight conviction or to reduce your sentence so it will have less of an impact on your life.

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