VIRGINIA RECKLESS DRIVING LAW

Have you been on the road and have a car suddenly stop and turn in front of you? And much to your annoyance, it’s usually some teenager texting or an older adult who simply just did not turn on their signal? This is actually a crime in Virginia. According to 46.2-860 of the Code of Virginia, “a person shall be guilty of reckless driving who fails to give adequate and timely signals of intention to turn, partly turn, slow down or stop, as required by 46.2-848 (which is the part of the Code that states you must signal whenever you ‘intend to back, stop or turn.”) You can be ticketed for this offense and the punishment for this infraction could be treated as a Class 1 misdemeanor. It is also enough reason to get you pulled over on suspicion of DUI.

Now I’m not trying to be some overgrown safety patrol here. Mistakes can happen, and everybody has been guilty of this at some point or another. However, if you are a parent to a teenage driver, or are you simply happen to be on the road with a family member who thinks the use of traffic signals is a lifestyle choice, it may not hurt to remind them of this fact. The conviction out of this statute may bring with it certain collateral damage as well, such as higher insurance fees and a suspended license. So try to incorporate this minor action into your everyday driving habits; It not only will save you money, it could just save your life.