The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is taking a new step to make state highways safer. The department will be posting signs on Interstate 95 and Interstate 81 reminding drivers that they can be charged with reckless driving if they exceed the 70 mph speed limit by just 10 mph. The department will post these signs in sections of the highways where VDOT has found a higher incidence of motorists exceeding the speed limit.
What is reckless driving in Virginia?
If a motorist is driving 20 mph over the speed limit, or driving over 80 mph, they can be charged with reckless driving in Virginia. Death or injury are the most serious consequences of reckless driving; however there are other potential negative outcomes. Your license could be suspended, and you could be fined up to $2,500. If convicted, you could even face jail time of up to 12 months. The seriousness of reckless driving is on par with driving under the influence, or DUI. They are both “class 1” misdemeanors in Virginia.
Injured motorists in Virginia due to speeding
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reports that 13,378 people were injured in crashes that were speed-related in 2014. The large number of families that are affected each year by the consequences of speed-related crashes could be decreased even further by the new highway signage. Even though the above figure is down 1.57 percent from the previous year, VDOT is always working to bring the number of crash injuries as close to zero as possible.
Ideal driving conditions
Speed limit signs do not always indicate the maximum safe driving speed. The signs are based on ideal driving conditions. This means that under severe weather conditions, you could be charged with reckless driving even while obeying the speed limit for that location. Being a responsible motorist means evaluating the circumstances of the road carefully, so that you can help ensure your safety and the safety of other drivers.
Automobile, truck, and motorcycle accidents are a fact of life. However, there are many precautions motorists can take to avoid injury in the event of a crash. Proper use of seat belts and keeping a reasonable braking distance from the car in front of you could prevent serious injury. Should the unfortunate event of personal injury resulting from an automobile, truck, or motorcycle accident happen to you or so meone you know, procuring legal advice from a skilled and experienced attorney could help immensely in mitigating the severity of the situation.