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Driving Classes in Prince William County

Prince William County, VA is known for having strict driving laws. If you have been charged with reckless driving, you should find a knowledgeable Prince William County reckless driving lawyer to help you understand your options. One option that is often available is taking driving classes to reduce your charges.

Driving Classes After a Reckless Driving Charge

You can take driver improvement classes when you are charged with reckless driving, and in some cases, that may result in the charge being dismissed. In other cases, it will result in the charge being reduced. A number of factors play into this, such as how fast you were going in a reckless speeding case or how bad the circumstances were in other cases of recklessness. An individual’s driving record is also a significant factor here. In addition, you may want to take the class before court in some cases and only after the first hearing in other cases. This will depend on a number of factors including your speed, your record, and other tactical considerations particular to your case. Any recommendation that says ALL calibrations should be done before court (or that NONE should be done) are incorrect.

If an individual has a very good driving record and the speed was not too high or the facts in the case are not too bad, a defensive driving class or a driver improvement class might cause that charge to be reduced or even dismissed. However, in more serious cases involving extreme speed, a bad accident, a very bad driving record or all of the above, then additional steps will likely need to be taken with the help of a Prince William County reckless driving attorney in addition to a driving class in order to mitigate the impact of the charge.

Cost of Driving Classes in Prince William County

There are hundreds of driving classes available in Prince William County. In order for them to count in a case in Prince William County, they should come from the approved list, which is maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The list of all of the different classes in the area can be found on the DMV website.

The cost of these classes are typically not expensive. They can range anywhere from $50 to $200, depending on whether they are mostly online or in person and how long a class lasts. The shorter classes that are completed primarily online in around four hours are typically less expensive. The more expensive classes are eight- or twelve-hour classes that are done in person.

Length of Driver Classes

There are several different levels of time commitment for driving classes. The smallest time commitment is the four-hour class. There are also eight-hour classes and twelve-hour classes. Some of these classes will be entirely in person, some will be entirely online and others will be a combination of the two. The longer the class you are able to take, the more benefit you will derive from it and the more benefit you will get in court. That being said, the court often simply requires some kind of driving class, and usually any class will suffice as long as it is from the DMV-approved list.

Impact of Driving Classes on Your Case in Prince William County

It is a good idea to take a driver improvement class in Prince William County reckless driving cases, including reckless speeding cases, because it demonstrates to the prosecutor and the judge that the defendant is making a commitment to improve his or her driving skills and is taking steps towards not repeating his or her mistakes. This can cause the charges to be reduced or even dismissed under the right circumstances.

In addition, particularly for drivers who have Virginia driver’s licenses, taking the driver improvement class will add positive points to your driving record, which will be important if you already have a bad record or if you anticipate that you are going to be given negative points. That’s often the case when a reckless driving charge is reduced to either a speeding charge or improper driving.

Out-of-State Driving Course Options

If you are an out-of-state driver and you are charged with reckless driving in Prince William County, you will have the option to take a driver improvement class in your state. Most Virginia driver improvement classes have at least some component that must be performed in person, even if it is just a test at the end. This is simply not going to be practical for out-of-state drivers in most cases. For this reason, Prince William County judges do accept driver improvement courses that are performed out of state as long as an original certificate of completion is ultimately submitted to the court.

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