Reckless Driving, Speeding, and Careless Driving
When an officer stops a motorist, it is up to the officer whether to charge the driver with reckless driving, careless driving, or speeding.
That decision has serious consequences. Reckless driving, or driving in a way that willfully endangers others, carries maximum penalties of up to 3 months in jail and $500 in fines. The maximum penalties for careless driving or speeding, however, are a $200 fine and 15 days in jail. In the same way, the DMV points assessed on your driver's license and the length of any driver's license suspension are much greater for reckless driving than careless driving. Reckless driving can be considered a criminal offense—careless driving, speeding, or other traffic violations such as racing, blocking the roadway, or not maintaining the proper speed in a traffic lane, are not considered criminal offenses.
Speeding, radar, speed limit signs
If you were charged with speeding on the basis of police or highway department radar equipment, our attorneys can have the equipment analyzed to see if it was working properly. A sign does not set the speed limit—New Jersey law does. It is important to establish that you actually were exceeding the legal limit when picked up. The court will consider, if it is established that you were speeding, the amount by which you exceeded the speed limit at sentencing.
When defending a client against charges of reckless driving, careless driving, speeding, or any other traffic violation, our attorneys consider not only the facts surrounding the charges, but the effect of consequences on our client's life. The lawyers work with judges and prosecutors to get charges reduced or dismissed, and to protect our client from unnecessarily harsh penalties.
If you have been charged with reckless driving, careless driving, or have received a speeding ticket, you can only make a well-informed decision about how to proceed after discussing your case with an attorney with the appropriate experience. If you would like to speak with a traffic lawyer from our firm, call 201-781-7800 to arrange a consultation.
Our lawyers represent clients in a wide variety of cases, defending them in Hudson County, Passaic County, Union County and Essex County municipal and superior courts against all traffic and criminal charges including the following:
- Driving without insurance
- Driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license
- Driving without a license
- Possession of drugs in a motor vehicle
- Failure to report an accident, leaving the scene
- Failure to stop at a light or sign
Please contact the Ibrahim Law Group to arrange for a consultation at 201-781-7800.