Culpeper Traffic Lawyer
If you have received a speeding ticket or been accused of another traffic violation in Culpeper, or anywhere else in Virginia, we can help. If you are at risk of losing your license, it is important to enlist the help of an experienced traffic lawyer. Our Culpeper traffic lawyers have extensive experience helping clients with traffic ticket cases in courts throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Call today to schedule a consultation with an experienced defense attorney.
Why Contact a Traffic Attorney?
When you receive a traffic citation, it’s important to consider not only the cost of the ticket itself, but also the possible ramifications on your ability to drive and your future insurance premiums. By helping you fight your traffic citation, a Culpeper traffic lawyer can make it possible to avoid unnecessary points on your driving record and keep your insurance rates reasonable.
In addition, if you are facing a DUI or reckless driving charge that could result in fines, jail time, and a criminal record, it’s imperative that you secure legal representation. The Culpeper traffic attorneys at our firm have successfully handled many similar cases and are happy to explain your legal options. Call our firm today to conduct your free initial consultation.
Common Virginia Traffic Charges
Our firm regularly represents clients, both local residents and out-of-state drivers passing through the Culpeper area in connection with Virginia traffic law offenses. Traffic tickets are common and our Culpeper traffic lawyers defend clients against all types of traffic charges, including:
- Speeding violations
- Driving while intoxicated (DUI/DWI)
- Driving with a suspended/invalid license
- Driving without insurance
- Leaving the scene of an accident
- Reckless driving
- Aggressive driving
- Seatbelt violations
- Child restraint violations
The most commonly ticketed offense is speeding. However, it comes as a surprise to many motorists that excessive speeding alone can support a reckless driving charge, which is a misdemeanor in Virginia, resulting in a criminal record and the potential for jail time.
Traveling over 80 mph (or 20 mph over the posted speed limit) in Virginia constitutes reckless driving. In addition, certain other unsafe driving behaviors, such as racing, failure to signal, and driving too fast for certain driving conditions, just to name a few, can also lead to a reckless driving charge.
Consequences of Virginia Traffic Violations
When facing traffic violations, it is important to realize the potential consequences of a conviction for even minor infractions:
- Loss of your license if you accumulate too many points
- Steep fines
- Increased insurance rates
If you are convicted of a traffic offense in Virginia, the Department of Motor Vehicles may assess points to your driving record and the points may transfer to your resident state even if you are an out-of-state driver.
Traffic Point System
The traffic point system in Culpeper is designed to reward those who consistently drive without incident and punish those who are convicted of traffic offenses.
Every state DMV has a system of points that are assigned for every conviction that is available under the laws of that state. When an individual is originally licensed to drive in Virginia, he or she has zero points on his or her driving record. Once the person receives their license, they are entered into the Culpeper Traffic Point System. After that person drives safely, without incident, for one year, he or she can have one positive point added to his or her record. This continues for each subsequent year; in Virginia, the maximum number of positive points an individual can have on his or her record is five. Because of this, the best driving record an individual can possibly have in is positive five points.
The Culpeper traffic point system, as in the rest of Virginia, has three relevant traffic offenses: three point violations, four point violations, and six point violations. When an individual is convicted of a traffic offense in Virginia, the court in which he or she was convicted sends an abstract of that conviction to the Virginia DMV. When the Virginia DMV receives this abstract, it assesses—or subtracts—points based upon the nature of the conviction. Getting too many demerit points on one’s record can lead to one’s license being suspended.
Texting and Driving
A recently-enacted Virginia traffic law imposes a ban on all cellphone texting, emailing, or other distracting handheld device activities for all drivers statewide. Drivers can now be pulled over for cell phone use and ticketed even if there is no other primary offense to justify the motor vehicle stop by a police officer.
Formerly, cell phone use had been a secondary offense, meaning police officers could ticket drivers only if they were stopped for a primary moving violation, such as speeding or disregarding a stop sign. Now, using a cell phone or other handheld device while driving means a $125 fine for a first offense. Subsequent violations can be punished with larger penalties.
Work with a Culpeper Traffic Attorney
If you have received a speeding ticket or other traffic violation in the Commonwealth of Virginia, it is in your best interest to consult with a traffic defense lawyer. An experienced traffic defense attorney can make sure your rights are protected and assist you through the court process with the goal of achieving the best possible result and assuring that you do not receive an unfair penalty. Our experienced Culpeper traffic lawyers can help you handle the charges. Call us today.