Missouri employs relatively vague laws concerning a driver's obligation to operate a motor vehicle "with the highest degree of care." Violations of this law, which result in Class B misdemeanor penalties, are comparable to penalties for reckless driving laws across the country. However, law enforcement in Missouri will typically only cite a driver in violation of these laws, if applicable, after an accident causing bodily injury or property damage.
Missouri obligates drivers to operate vehicles in accordance with existing traffic laws. Violations are typically cited as single, specific offenses. However, Missouri law does include a quasi-reckless driving statute, which requires drivers to exercise the "highest degree of care," which is defined in the following ways:
Violations of this law are classified as Class B misdemeanor offenses in Missouri, with violations stemming from incidents causing an accident chargeable as a Class A misdemeanor offense.
|
Offense/Violation |
Classification |
Criminal Penalties |
Points Applied to License |
Other Administrative Penalties |
|
Failure to exercise highest degree of care |
Class B misdemeanor |
Up to 6 months of incarceration with fines not to exceed $500 |
4 |
Additional fines, surcharges and fees outside of criminal fines. Letter of warning from Driver Licensing Division. |
|
Failure to exercise highest degree of care, causing accident |
Class A misdemeanor |
Up to 1 year of incarceration with criminal fines not to exceed $1,000 |
4 |
Additional fines, surcharges and fees outside of criminal fines. Letter of warning from Driver Licensing Division. |
Save for instances of automatic license suspension, most likely based on the nature of an accident caused by reckless driving and not the reckless driving itself, drivers in Missouri incur four points on their licenses. Accumulation of eight or more points in an 18-month period results in a 30-day license suspension in Missouri. However, even this suspension is avoidable.
As noted above, Missouri driving laws dictate when suspensions should occur, but most drivers are afforded at least one opportunity to deduct points from their licenses by attending traffic school. Following a reckless driving violation, prior to conviction, you would attend a traffic court hearing and request such an arrangement. Though it may not prevent fines or civil liability, attendance at traffic school can prevent the points from being applied to your license.
If a reckless driving charge follows an accident causing significant property damage or any bodily injury, you may need to consult with an attorney as soon as possible. Conviction of the reckless driving offense will carry over into any civil action filed against you for damaged stemming from the accident. Likewise, if a reckless driving charge, whether by nature of points or the act itself, jeopardizes your license, legal counsel may help you retain the license.