Reckless Driving Leads to Big Problems
When you hit the road, you’re expected to drive in a safe and predictable manner. Most traffic infractions have specific definitions. If you exceed the speed limit, run a stop sign or red light, change lanes without signaling; these are all pretty straightforward. Reckless driving, on the other hand, doesn’t have such a clear cut definition. There’s not really one infraction on its own that constitutes reckless driving, and can often be left open to interpretation by the officer writing you the ticket. The Car Crash Captain looks into it to see what we should know about reckless driving, and how to operate safely on Texas roads.
What is the Definition of Reckless Driving?
Texas law, section 545.401 defines reckless driving like this: A person commits an offense if the person drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.
Because motor vehicle laws are tied to the infraction, reckless driving is a bit of a catch-all for someone who’s breaking multiple laws. For example, a motorist runs a stop sign, speeds, and swerves between lanes could be written up for each of those, but without fully seeing and being able to tally each infraction it’s easier to write a ticket under reckless driving.
Reckless driving is a misdemeanor, but it can be elevated to a felony in certain situations.
What are the Consequences of Reckless Driving?
There are a lot of rumors out there about how reckless driving affects you and your insurance rates. Some saying it’s just as bad as getting a DUI. Let’s set that straight:
Most of the time, reckless driving is a lesser offense than DUI.
Because reckless has such a wide range of actions that lead up to it, it can end up being worse if it leads to something more.
Someone who is driving recklessly and is pulled over, might get off with a traffic ticket and a mandatory court date. Someone else who is driving recklessly and tries to elude the police, may end up being taken into custody.
The big difference is someone who is willfully trying to escape, versus, let’s say a teenage driving making foolish decisions.
A driver who crashes because of their reckless driving will have more consequences than one who doesn’t; a crash that kills someone will result in even more severe penalties.
Texas law allows a person convicted of reckless driving to be fined up to $200, and put in jail for up to 30 day.
The bottom line is that be safe, don’t make stupid decisions; you don’t want a reckless driving ticket on your record.
How Reckless Driving Leads to Wrecks
The big problem is that most people are at least decent drivers. Naturally, everyone thinks they are great drivers, but for the vast majority of those on the road, they’re pretty much just average.
It’s the handful of people who make bad decisions that cause problems for those who are just going about their business.
Most wrecks are caused by reckless drivers (not to be confused with wreckless drivers which would be drivers who don’t get in wrecks) – from not paying attention, to speeding, to running lights or signs, to driving under the influence (driving while intoxicated is considered to be a reckless act).
You can be the innocent victim of someone else acting as a bad driver.
Herbert Law Group Helps Accident Victims
If you’re injured in a wreck because someone else made bad choices, then we should talk.
You have rights as a victim, and most insurance companies aren’t going to respect your rights. Your settlement offers will likely be too low, your healing process will be dragged on, and in the end you lose out.
But when you have a Texas car wreck lawyer from Herbert Law Group on your side, you can find justice.
Let’s chat about what happened. Call our offices at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll have a free conversation to determine how we can help.