Speeding Offenses in Fairfax County

Like the rest of Virginia, Fairfax County are very strict about speeding offenses. In Virginia, there is a thin line between speeding and reckless driving, which is doubly dangerous considering reckless driving is classified as a misdemeanor in the state.

For more information about how a speeding offense may impact you, call and schedule a consultation with a Fairfax speeding ticket lawyer today.

What to Expect About a Speeding Charge in Fairfax County

Virginia is one of the harshest states on speeding, and Fairfax contains some of the most well-traveled corridors in the Commonwealth. So you should expect to be issued a speeding ticket if you are going any miles per hour over the speed limit here. Law enforcement officers do not play around and they will ticket anybody for going over the limit.

On your ticket, you should look carefully to see whether you’ve been charged with general speeding, which is a traffic infraction, or with excessive speeding which is reckless driving, a criminal misdemeanor. The difference is huge and it’s very important to know exactly what you’re facing so that you can adequately prepare for it.

Types of Speeding Offenses

In Fairfax and throughout Virginia, there are two general speeding offenses, speeding and reckless driving. The difference is that general speeding is a traffic infraction, while reckless driving is a criminal charge. A traffic offense is punishable by a fine and demerit points, while a reckless driving conviction can result in fines, possible jail time, and a court ordered suspension of driving privileges. If you accumulate too many demerit points, then you can also have your license suspended through the DMV.

Reckless driving is a class one misdemeanor. This means that it is punishable by a fine of up to $2500, up to 12 months in jail and a license suspension of up to six months. A conviction results, not only in a demerit points, but also in a criminal record that lasts forever. The reckless driving conviction will remain a Virginia driving record for eleven years.

Severity of Speeding Offenses

In Fairfax, speeding offenses can be very serious, ranging in penalties from just a simple fine to actual jail time and loss of your driving privileges. A Fairfax speeding ticket lawyer can help you understand the difference between the different types of charges and implications of each and can also help you build a strong defense so that you can avoid the harshest of penalties.

Do I Need to Show Up to Court?

For a speeding ticket, you don’t have to show up to court if you would rather admit guilt and pay the fine online. The problem with doing this is that you miss your opportunity for contesting that charge, which means that you lose the opportunity to have the charge reduced or dismissed, or to mitigate the penalties that come with it. This is different from reckless driving because reckless driving comes with the requirement of having to go to court to answer to the charge in person. Speak with a Fairfax speeding ticket attorney to discuss the court process.

Ways Police Officers Prove Speeding in Fairfax

In Fairfax, the main ways that law enforcement officers prove that somebody was speeding are by using specialized equipment, which includes radar, and LIDAR equipment. Radar uses Doppler radar and LIDAR uses laser. The third way that officers prove someone is speeding is by is pacing vehicles. Pacing is where the police officer targets the vehicle and drives behind the vehicle to match the speed and then will look at his own speedometer to determine how fast the targeted vehicle is going.