What a Reckless Driving Charge Means in Illinois

 Posted on March 01, 2019 in Criminal Defense

Here in the state of Illinois, a reckless driving charge can come with serious legal ramifications. According to Illinois state law, a reckless driving conviction constitutes a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted, a Class A misdemeanor can come with up to $2,500 in fines, a maximum prison sentence of one year, and marks against our license. If a driver accumulates 3 traffic violations within a 12 month period, they will likely face a license suspension. It is important to note that reckless driving resulting in injuries to another party, come with more severe legal ramifications. If you have been charged with reckless driving, it is important to take the offense seriously. In the event of a traffic violation, contact a legal team that you can believe in.

What Reckless Driving Looks Like

It should come as no surprise that reckless driving charges are taken incredibly seriously here in the state of Illinois, considering the amount of fatal car accidents throughout the state. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, an alarming 1,090 people died in motor vehicle collisions throughout the state, in 2017 alone. Due to the high number of statewide traffic fatalities, law enforcement officials across Illinois, are cracking down on reckless driving. Listed below are some of the most commonly cited forms of reckless driving violations.

Distracted Driving: Today, drivers throughout the United States continue to use their cell-phones while driving. Despite increased surveillance, designed to eliminate texting and driving, cell-phone use has become a traffic crisis, nationwide. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 Americans were killed due to the reckless actions of distracted drivers, throughout 2016.

Speeding: Here in the state of Illinois, speeding can come with life-threatening consequences, especially during Winter months. Speeding is the most common factor in fatal motor vehicle collisions, throughout the United States. Here in the state of Illinois, a driver can be cited for reckless driving, if they are traveling at speeds 20 miles per hour, over the speed limit.

Various Endangerment: When ice and snow are present, traffic police are constantly on the lookout for various forms of reckless driving. Other common forms of reckless driving include disregarding traffic laws (such as running red lights), recklessly swerving from lane to lane, and aggressively tailgating other drivers. After being cited for a reckless driving violation, seek out legal assistance.

Contact a Naperville Traffic Violation Lawyer

With years of experience operating within the state of Illinois, our legal team is confident in our ability to assist our clients throughout the legal process. At J. Aldrich Law, P.C., we pride ourselves in aggressively advocating for our clients. If you have been cited for a traffic violation, you need a quality legal team, that you can trust. To schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced Naperville criminal defense attorney, contact our team today at 630-953-3000.

Sources:

https://apps.dot.illinois.gov/FatalCrash/Home/CrashData/2017

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K11-503