Ever since your first response, you've changed the subject entirely into whether or not I will ever take responsibility for my actions and whether or not I even support a law against reckless driving. On both accounts, I do. But the severity of potentially ruining a person's life and their future chances of success because of a single error in judgement or mistake is absolutely cruel punishment.
Well, not quite true. The Officer can put the mph lower than you were going, clocking you in under reckless.
While I'm not fond of the misdemeanor charge in Virginia, I don't have a giant issue over it and can honestly say in my 28 years of living in the state I've never actually known someone who actually was jailed for speeding.
The only road I have a significant issue with it on is the various areas of I-66 and I-81 (there may be some spots on I-64 as well) where the speed limit is 70. It is hard for me to buy that going 10 miles over the speed limit equals "reckless". I think if you're going to have it then an actual flat 20 would be better than the "20 over or 80 total" that we have in place now.
Here is an idea for you. Get enough people to contact the Virginia law makers and get the the law changed. Unil then, the law is what it is for that State.
In Virginia, there's an entire list of things that could get an ordinary citizen slapped with a misdemeanor charge.
Virginia Reckless Driving Charges FAQ - VA Reckless Driving Ticket Frequently Asked Questions - Virginia Reckless Driving Summons Ticket Charge
Simply going over 20 miles over the speed limit; Failing to use turn signals; Simply driving 80 mph; Obstructed view and even learning how to drive in an empty parking lot. See above.
In your opinion, is this a bit too excessive?
I live in California where the tickets are very expensive but at least, as far as speed is concerned, the highways are consistent in their posted limit and a maximum leeway of 15 miles over the limit is generally tolerated.
What are your thoughts?
What's ridiculous is wanting to lower the penalty of reckless driving. If we need to we can make it a felony, but I would support harsher sentencing when it comes to reckless driving and going 20 over.
Doing 180 mph alone in your vehicle made to do it on an open flat highway isn't "reckless driving." Speeding, but not reckless. A person doing 45 in the left lane on a 7o mph flowing highway is what is reckless, as in dangerous to others.
In Virginia, there's an entire list of things that could get an ordinary citizen slapped with a misdemeanor charge.
In your opinion, is this a bit too excessive?
I live in California where the tickets are very expensive but at least, as far as speed is concerned, the highways are consistent in their posted limit and a maximum leeway of 15 miles over the limit is generally tolerated.
What are your thoughts?
A know the hypocrisy of conservatism which fights big government only in so far as economic freedom will allow, but falls short of fighting big government in civil and personal freedoms. I know enough about Virginia to know that I don't like their traffic laws, or at least this one.
I misread the poll, it's not excessive at all. Here, going 25 miles over is a felony and should be. Learn to drive or get off the road.
You'll need to make a better case to argue that putting other people lives at risk with deadly machinery is somehow a "civil rights" issue.
WRONG! Don't post false statements because they tend to be read by others and it completely undermines the argument against severity.
As you know, I was born and raised in Redlands. A quick search on Google will demonstrate that CA Reckless Driving is going 100 miles over the limit (it may be 90 in some jurisdictions or since I left). There may be more discretion up to the officer in regards to traffic conditions, weather, and area (i.e. school). But it is certainly NOT 25 across the board, and 25 over the limit IS NOT a felony. Please don't state such false statements because people have a tendency to believe whatever they read. In Virginia, where I live now, it is 20 mph over the limit MANDATORY.
As I said before, when I lived in CA (where the standard speed limit is 65 on most freeways), I could have traveled up to 15 mph over the limit without fear of being pulled over. I never traveled faster than 80 and on so many occasions, this rate of speed was actually safe given the speed of other drivers (at least if you're driving in the far 2 left lanes).
Actually, you're right, it takes another action while speeding to make it a felony, be it causing an accident, being under the influence, etc. However, if there is someone under the age of 12 in the car, you pass a school bus, do it in a school zone, etc., it does raise the speeding charge to a class H felony.
Actually, that depends on the highway's design speed. Yes, there are actually tables in engineering books that tell us what speed a curve or hilltop is rated for in terms of visibility around the curve and over the tops of hills. Sure, it's easy to see that 10 miles of flat road is pretty safe at any speed - depending on other traffic - but most highways don't meet that description.Doing 20 over is reckless.
Assuming the posted speed was correct to begin with, which in so far a freeways go, it is not.
The posted speed for freeways should be around 90.
This is true, yet it expects the officer to lie on the report in order to give the driver a break. And it is proof that even cops think the rule is excessive.
Driving conditions, weather, and the area where you're driving are important factors in determining proper speed and proper punishment for offenders. Second, it should be a standard rule to let police officers have some discretion in these cases. Finally, I do feel it is a violation of civil rights to be charged with a mandatory misdemeanor simply for traveling a blanket 20 mph over the limit. Severity of punishment can sometimes be so excessive, it is cruel. A permanent criminal record damages a person's ability to retain a career and/or seek a job. We shouldn't slap mandatory misdemeanors on people who commit what is suppose to be an infraction for the same moral reason we shouldn't execute drug smugglers or jail people for nonviolent crimes. As it is today, we're turning our prison systems into a profit-run corporation, and I would think a 'left-libertarian' would be against that. But I suppose labels don't mean anything.
Maybe we shouldn't pick and choose the rules we follow. Most times, 20 miles over the speed limit is too fast. In arizona, the speed limit is 75 highway, and over that is not tolerated. Would 95 be ok with you?
The very last legal issue I ever handled was exactly this -- 25 MPH over the limit, in VA.
There are so many escape valves to this law, no one should ever get their panties in a bunch about it. You need to be a serious repeat offender not to get it kicked. And if you are, then you deserve it.
I get my panties in a bunch because it is clearly a money-making system for the state and for lawyers. You pay $250 to the state for a reduced charge and $750-1000 to a lawyer.
The fact that you can finagle your way out of a misdemeanor by paying out the ass doesn't deviate from the fact it is an excessive law.
I misread the poll, it's not excessive at all. Here, going 25 miles over is a felony and should be. Learn to drive or get off the road.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?