What is Considered As Reckless Driving In The Eyes of The Law?

Drivers who cause accidents on the road can be categorized differently based on the way in which they were operating the vehicle. In some cases this could be considered as ‘careless driving,’ in others it is considered ‘driving without due care and attention’, both of these are punishable by law and can result in fines and potential imprisonment. A much more serious charge however is that of reckless driving, which is something which we see all too often on our roads. In fact the accidents and injuries caused by this kind of driving can be severe and you only need to speak with a reckless driving accident lawyer to find out just how bad things can get.

It is important to differentiate between driver behavior after an accident, in order to serve the best punishment to the person who is deemed to have caused it. With this in mind, here is what the law considers to be reckless driving.

General Definition

There is no exact limit on what is considered as reckless driving versus say, careless driving, and the judgement will be made by the courts as to how bad the driving behavior was of the person who caused an accident, or who has been stopped by police. A general definition of this kind of driving is someone who is driving a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.

Punishment For Reckless Driving

Those who are found to have been guilty of reckless driving are sure to face heavy punishment, but this is something which differs from state to state. Generally speaking reckless driving is punishable with a minimum of 5 days jail time, with the judge being able to give up to 90 days depending on the case. If however someone is found to have caused injury or death as a result of reckless driving, the punishment is much more severe and they will be tried on a number of counts of endangering life. Anyone who is caught recklessly driving can expect to have their license suspended and face heavy fines, as well as jail time. Even first offenders should expect to at least serve some days in prison.

Spotting Reckless Driving

Should you see anyone on the road who you believe to be driving in a reckless manner the best approach is to call the police. Very often those who do cause accidents have been seen boy multiple road users driving in an erratic way, and the call which you make could help to prevent an accident elsewhere on the road. This is more a civic duty than anything else, but it could certainly help to save lives and prevent injuries if the reckless driver continues to put others at risk.

Unfortunately not all road users have the best interests of the rest when they are in their vehicle and this is exactly why the punishment for reckless driving is severe.