How to spot a reckless driver in Virginia?
Reckless driving is a major traffic violation in Virginia and a person convicted of reckless driving is subjected to heavy fines and other harsh punishments. It is important to drive safely and carefully in Virginia is known for being the 6th most strict state regarding its reckless driving laws. During the holiday season of winter, the traffic conditions are worst on the highway of Virginia. The individuals, as well as the police officers, are more actively involved in ensuring the safety of the citizens.
The increase in traffic is one of the major reasons behind the huge volume of reckless driving tickets in Virginia. During 2014, the crash report of 2014 Virginia reported the death of 251 people and injury of 5003 people in different Alcohol-related crashes. Similarly, in the same year, 300 people died, and 13378 people were injured in different speed-related incidents. Furthermore, in 2014, 700 more people were killed, and 63,384 more people were injured in the different accident according to the reports of Virginia highway safety office. In order to control the figures, Virginia legislation is continuously working on improvising the laws by filling the gaps in the current codes of reckless driving.
Behaviors that are categorized as reckless driving
There are almost 13 specific acts which are categorized by the law of Virginia as reckless driving which specifically includes reckless driving by speeding.
As stated in the Virginia code: section 46.2 – 862:
“A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of twenty miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit or (ii) in excess of eighty miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit”
Whereas other acts include, driving your vehicle without proper headlights, racing on the highways, damaging any property while driving, driving a faulty vehicle such as a vehicle with faulty brakes, drinking and driving, driving an overloaded vehicle which is blocking the vision of others, passing by a school bus which is stopped for kids to get off the bus, carelessly passing the railroads, ignoring the traffic signal and passing a red light, texting or using phone while driving or rapidly changing lanes without giving proper signals.
If a driver is convicted for any of the following act, he is subjected to the reckless driving ticket which can have a huge impact on the personal and professional life of the person convicted. However, this act of reckless driving can cause a lot of damages including life-threatening damages of innocents who might become the victim of someone’s reckless driving.
Can you claim compensation if you are a victim of reckless driving?
If you are a victim of someone’s reckless driving act you can claim your compensation under the following conditions:
- Physical injuries and pain
- Loss of income in case of injury or temporary disability
- Complete medical care for the injuries caused by the reckless driving
- In case the person died, the immediate family can claim the funeral expenses