If you have been charged with reckless driving in Virginia, you are facing misdemeanor charges that carry stiff penalties and could have long-term consequences in your life. You need to do everything you can to fight the charges and reduce the ramifications of a conviction. One step that could help you is to take a driver improvement course before you go to your court hearing.
What Is a Driving Improvement Class?
A driving improvement course is a class that you can take online or in-person to relearn defensive driving techniques that will help you avoid causing an accident. You must attend approximately eight hours of classes to successfully complete it.
If you are considering taking a driver’s improvement class before your court hearing, it is important to pick one that is approved by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You can find a list of clinics on their website. The cost of this class is around $100.
How Taking a Driving Improvement Course Could Help You
Whether taking a driving improvement class will help your reckless driving case will depend on several factors, such as the facts surrounding your arrest, the jurisdiction where your case is being heard, and the judge assigned to your case. In addition, your prior criminal record, including prior reckless driving convictions, could have an impact on whether you should take this class. Here are three ways a driving improvement course could be beneficial:
- Reduced charges. If this is your first offense and you do not have other speeding tickets, completing a course could result in the charges against you being dismissed or reduced to a less serious traffic offense.
- Fewer demerit points. If you are convicted of reckless driving, six demerit points would be added to your DMV record. You may have your driver’s license suspended or revoked if you have too many demerit points on your record. You could have five demerit points removed from your DMV record once you complete a driving improvement course.
- Lower insurance costs. Some insurance companies will reduce the cost of your auto insurance, which could increase significantly if you are convicted of reckless driving if you take these classes through an approved driving improvement clinic.
How to Know If You Should Take a Driving Improvement Course
The best way to know if taking a driving improvement class will help you is to retain an experienced reckless driving lawyer. They can also mount a strong defense strategy to fight the charges you face. To find out how our knowledgeable legal team can assist you, call our Manassas office or start a live chat to schedule your free consultation today.
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