ARIZONA Reckless Driving Lawyer

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Reckless Driving Charges in Arizona

The reckless driving statute simply reads that it’s illegal to drive in reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property. Thus, there’s no definitive answer on what kind of driving is reckless; the language is open to interpretation. In each reckless driving case, we must evaluate the totality of circumstances. A reckless driving ticket in Arizona can be issued anytime a police officer believes a driver is putting other people or property in danger. Opinions vary on what exactly constitutes danger to people or property, but here are some examples of situations where we see reckless driving tickets:

• Egregious speeding. This depends on the jurisdiction, but sometimes we see reckless driving tickets together with excessive speed tickets when the speeds are 40, 50, 60, or more mph over the posted speed limit. 

• A pattern of moving violations. If a police officer observes a driver commit a series of moving violations, he might write a ticket for reckless driving or aggressive driving. 

• Donuts or burnouts on private property.

• Some traffic accidents can result in a reckless driving ticket. Most accidents are just a driver mistake, but if the driver was doing something like speeding or a burnout that caused the accident, a reckless driving ticket might be issued.

Understanding the consequences of Reckless Driving in Arizona

Arizona reckless driving penalties can be very harsh, especially if you have previous penalties on your driving history and or criminal record. If you were convicted in the past 24 to 84 months of any of the following offenses: DUI, reckless driving, racing on highways, or vehicular homicide – the consequences may be substantial. If you were convicted of one of those crimes, for an incident in the 24 months preceding this incident date, you will face a minimum of 20 days in jail and a driving privilege suspension of up to 1 year. If you were convicted of one of those crimes, for an incident in the 84 months preceding this violation date, you face a driving privilege suspension of up to 1 year.

If you don’t have one of the specific driving crimes on your record, from the previous 24 months, you face a Class 2 Misdemeanor Reckless Driving, which carries these penalties:

• Permanent criminal record
• Up to 120 days in jail (The Judge may permit release for work or school up to 12 hours a day, 5 days a week)
• The judge can take away your license for 90 days
• MVD, at a minimum, will impose a 90-days suspension; it may be avoided by attending traffic school if you haven’t attended it in the last two years. If you already have points on your license, you can face a mandatory suspension with no traffic school option.
• ONE YEAR LICENSE REVOCATION IF PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED of reckless driving, DUI, or racing on highways for a violation that occurred in the 84 months preceding this violation date.
• Up to two years of probation
• Up to $1,372.50 in fines and surcharges
• 8 points added to your license
• Increased Insurance Premiums

If you have a prior conviction for reckless driving, DUI, racing on highways, or vehicular homicide in the previous 24 months, it’s a Class 1 Misdemeanor, which carries these penalties:

• MANDATORY ONE YEAR LICENSE REVOCATION
• MINIMUM 20 DAYS IN JAIL and up to 180 days in jail (The Judge may permit release for work or school up to 12 hours a day, 5 days a week)
• Up to three years of probation
• Up to $4,575.00 in fines and surcharges
• 8 additional points on your license
• Increased Insurance Premiums

Received a reckless driving charge?