Don't be a Reckless Driver in Colorado

There are many instances when people are in a hurry and they change their lanes, block others traffic and sometimes collide their vehicles too. Colorado state has some harsh punishment against reckless drivers and there is a chance that you get your license canceled, insurance disqualification and in rare chances, possible jail terms.

There are multiple cases where the accused did not even know that he has broken a law and that unknowingness is the biggest reason that many people get tickets for reckless driving. 

Colorado state has clearly stated that" A person who drives a vehicle whether it is a motor vehicle, bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, or a low-power scooter in such a manner that it indicate either a wanton or a willful disregard for the safety of a person, a no. of person or property."

Courts find it quite hard to put charges on a person because there is a very thin line which separates the meaning the wantonly and willfully.

wantonly offense is when there is a physical damage of person, a number of people are property is included.

The willful offense is when a person deliberately driving ferociously and has a bad intention to drive badly or to hurt somebody. Such ambiguities make a reckless driving case much complex and it is not a good thing for the accused. Because it is a possibility that the judge could misinterpret the charges and you could get a harsher punishment than you deserve. In many instances, people were just a victim of road rage, or they misunderstood any signal, reacted badly to other poor driving, or just happened to be at a wrong place at a wrong time.

Traffic of Colorado is getting messier with each passing day as more and more people are purchasing vehicles and using them. Offenders could be charged with over-speeding too, but it is not much clear that under which prosecution over-speeding could be counted as reckless driving. It is quite hard to predict. Such complex implications associated with reckless driving offense makes the role of an effective defense attorney quite vital for the case because a normal person could not argue in his favor. Only an attorney who has previous experience in handling such cases could come with vital points supporting his client.

What happens to a reckless driver-

A reckless driving case comes under class 2 misdemeanor traffic violation across Colorado. The maximum punishment for such offense is 90 days jail time in Colorado County Jail. But generally, such faces a fine of $5o to $1,000. In some rare cases, where damage is high then both penalty and jail time are applied.

A reckless driver could lose his driving license too as 8 points are deducted from your license. It could fall hard on such people who work in remote locations and need a car to travel to reach their offices, or if they are a professional driver, then it would be a loss of their livelihood too. So a person must not take reckless driving offense lightly and need an attorney standing by their side.

Examples of reckless driving-

a. Adam works as a finance executive in one of a reputed company in Denver County, Colorado. He is going to his work by his car but getting late due to heavy traffic. The lane in which he is driving is moving quite slowly and the car in front of him is moving much slower too. After some time, when traffic looses a little and moves a little faster, Adam too increases the speed of his car, but suddenly the car in front of him cracks the break and Adam could not stop the car in time and collides with it. 

Now it will also be considered as reckless driving as Adam was not driving by taking a safe distance from the car in front of him and was driving too closely.

b. Samantha is a law student at Chaffee county and going to her college, but due to heavy traffic, she is getting late. Due to irritation, she starts jumping the lanes and causing a panic among other drivers. Due to this, a car coming behind her collides with her car and causes a massive pile up following it. Now Samantha would be considered as a reckless driver and there would be several charges put against her. Cops could even include some class 2 misdemeanor charges which could not only cancel her driving license but a potential prison time too.

Effects on insurance-

Apart from fines, prison, and license suspension, increased insurance premium is also a severe consequence which a person has to face.

As per data, the insurance premium for a reckless driving offender is increased up to 22%, whereas a normal traffic ticket increases the insurance premium for only 10-11%. It is advisable to tell the attorney about your insurance so that he could decrease the hiked insurance premium up to some extent. But it is better to not get into such kind of situations.

Author's Note

The Author is a Criminal defense attorney in Colorado, offering complete legal assistance to protect client’s rights and interests.