The Albemarle County Virginia sheriff has announced aggressive reckless driving enforcement and patrols along Seminole Trail (Route 29) in Albemarle County. Drivers along this road are said to routinely ignore posted speed limits of 45 miles per hour, and the number of incidents of traffic accidents is high.
Everyone is supportive of safer roads, but there are parts of this road where it is very easy to naturally gain speed. And given that speed limits along route 29 were recently lowered, there are going to be a lot of Virginia drivers just making an honest mistake who end up with a criminal reckless driving charge.
At the bottom of the article is a strange and possibly telling note: that police also intend to use these vehicle stops to check drivers and vehicles for “secondary violations”, which include seat belt violations, equipment problems, and as mention in the video, impaired driving, in addition to speeding or reckless driving by speed.
I wonder exactly what equipment violation would count as a secondary violation? Under the law, broken tail light or an expired inspection would be a valid primary reason for Virginia police to pull you over. So what else are they hunting for?
Given that reckless driving charges are a significant revenue source for the government, one has to be suspicious that these reckless driving enhanced enforcement patrols are at least partially influenced by a desire to pick up some extra money in a difficult economic environment. And that is a tough thing to do when Virginians, like all Americans, are struggling with their own family’s economic and job security.
—
If you are charged with the crime of reckless driving in Virginia, contact our attorneys for a free consultation. We’ll let you know how we can often get your charges reduced to a civil penalty, saving you thousands in fees and insurance costs, and keeping you from getting a permanent criminal record.
The consultation is free, with no further obligation.