Drivers can receive citations after they get stopped for speeding or failing to use a turn signal. Others may face more serious allegations, such as claims of reckless driving. Reckless driving allegations can affect licensing and insurance.
In some cases, those allegations can even affect a professional’s career because they lead to a misdemeanor criminal record. While many people plead guilty to traffic violations by paying their tickets, everyone accused of breaking the law has the right to defend themselves. Drivers with recent citations can potentially go to court with the help of a lawyer to fight the ticket that they received.
How can drivers defend against allegations of reckless driving?
By reinterpreting the situation
Reckless driving allegations largely rely on an understanding of an individual’s mental state. The definition under state law makes it a crime to operate a motor vehicle in a way that displays a clear disregard for the safety and rights of others.
A police officer may assume the worst after they pull someone over for questionable behavior in traffic. Motorists can often create an alternative version of events that does not involve a careless lack of concern for other people.
In some cases, inaccurate information, such as an incorrect speed reading, might contribute to a police officer assuming the worst during a traffic stop. People who can provide more accurate information could potentially defeat a reckless driving citation.
By proving extenuating circumstances
There are certain times when seemingly unsafe behavior is reasonable. Individuals experiencing some kind of personal emergency might flagrantly violate traffic statutes. They could prove that they were experiencing extreme distress that compromised their decision-making capabilities or that they were under duress because of pressure applied by outside parties.
Perhaps the passenger in the vehicle just went into labor or experienced what may have been a stroke. The driver may not care about following traffic rules at the moment because their main concern is getting their loved ones safely to the hospital as quickly as possible. Other times, people may have experienced criminal activity, such as an attempted carjacking, that led to them fleeing an area in an unsafe manner.
Reviewing what happened before a reckless driving citation with a skilled legal team can help a driver consider their options if they want to fight a ticket. Motorists who have the help of an attorney can sometimes successfully defend against even serious traffic citations by going to court.