There is any number of additional traffic offenses that you may be charged with. These range from non moving violations to more serious moving violations. Some of these cases carry with them the possibility of civil liability such as when there has been an accident. The more serious the accident the more serious the potential liability may be. In some of these cases there can be significant fines and even jail sentences as well as license suspensions.

Although not usually considered a serious charge, speeding can impact your driving record and cause you to accumulate points against your license. Typically the penalty for this offense results in a fine only. If enough points are accumulated this could result in a suspension of your license. In addition a conviction could have an impact on your insurance rates and whether a company will continue to provide coverage.

Reckless Driving can be charged for many different reasons. One of the most common forms is for a speed of greater than 20 MPH over the posted speed limit or any speed above 80 mph regardless of the speed limit. In addition this offense can be charged for a number of specific driving behaviors that create danger to persons or property and frequently is charged in accident cases.

This charge is a class two misdemeanor for the first offense and may be charged as a class one misdemeanor after the first offense. The maximum penalty for violation of this law is six (6) months in jail, a $1000 fine and up to a 90 day suspension of your right to drive. This is the penalty range for a first offense. A second offense may be charged as a class one misdemeanor which carries a maximum penalty of one (1) year in jail, $2500 fine and 90 days suspension of your right to drive.

This charge is a class one misdemeanor with maximum penalties of one (1) year in jail, a fine of up to $2500 and further loss of your privilege to drive that can range from a very short suspension up to an indefinite suspension. In certain circumstances this charge can even be elevated to a felony offense with mandatory jail time of a year.

There is no difference in Virginia between these two offenses; they are simply two separate names for the same offense. Any blood alcohol content (BAC) above .08 is considered presumptively intoxicated as well as certain amounts of illegal drugs and in some cases even legally prescribed drugs. Because these offenses have gotten the attention of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and other organizations, the legislature has drastically increased the penalties for these offenses in recent years.