Speedometer Calibration in Virginia Reckless Driving Cases

Speedometer calibration plays an important role in reckless driving cases. Speedometer calibration is a procedure that measures your vehicle’s speedometer accuracy. It’s performed by mechanics and tests whether the vehicle’s speedometer is calibrated properly. The mechanic prints out a report, which shows whether the speedometer is off. If it is off, then it shows how many miles per hour it’s off by. In some speed related cases, this speedometer calibration can be very helpful. You can get it calibrated at almost any auto mechanic shop. The cost is usually around $75.

Sometimes, charges can be reduced when it is clear that the speed was more comparable to a speeding charge than a reckless driving charge. Other times, speedometers can be calibrated incorrectly, and display a different speed than the one you were going at. In this instance, it can act as a mitigating factor in your reckless driving charge. Consulting with a Virginia reckless driving attorney will help you in arguing your case before the prosecution.

How Speedometer Calibrations can Help a VA Reckless Driving Case

In some Virginia reckless driving by excessive speed cases where the speeding charge was close to the line between reckless driving and speeding, a speedometer calibration can be evidence enough to have the charge reduced to a more manageable and lesser offense if it was off by enough miles per hour to make the offense no longer reckless driving but then speeding.

A lawyer in Virginia could recommend this if this is the situation that you’re in. Oftentimes, the judge will adjust the speed that someone is charged with by the amount that the speedometer was off by.

Incorrect Speedometer as a Mitigating Factor

It’s not necessarily the law that if your speedometer is off, it’s not your fault, but it can be a mitigating factor. It depends on how much your speedometer is off by and whether it’s obvious or not whether the defendant knew that was the case. If someone has a completely broken speedometer, then they’re not getting off the hook. If someone’s speedometer is off by such an excessive amount that you really should have known it was off and it would be unreasonable for the defendant to rely on it, then this isn’t going to help either.

If your speedometer is off by just a few miles per hour and the speed wasn’t so excessive that it doesn’t make any difference at all, then it could help your case.

What To Know About Speedometer Calibration

People should know that speedometer calibration isn’t always going to help a person facing a Virginia reckless driving charge. Some cases are helped by this and some cases are not helped. Your attorney will be able to explain to you when it does help and why, and let you know whether you should go get your speedometer calibrated. However, if you are unsure of whether or not getting your speedometer calibrated will benefit your defense, it is unlikely to hurt your case to have it calibrated.