What is reckless driving?

Any person who drives or is in actual physical control of any vehicle upon a highway, or upon public or private property open to public use, carelessly and heedlessly or without due caution and circumspection, and at a speed or in a manner as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property, or who passes when there is a line in his lane indicating a sight distance restriction, shall be guilty of reckless driving.

What is the punishment?

A person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of reckless driving for the first time is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be sentenced to jail for not more than six (6) months or may be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or may be punished by both fine and imprisonment. A person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of reckless driving, who has previously been found guilty of or has pled guilty to reckless driving, or any substantially conforming foreign criminal violation within five (5) years, notwithstanding the form of the judgment(s) or withheld judgment(s), is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be sentenced to jail for not more than one (1) year or may be fined not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or may be punished by both fine and imprisonment. The Department of Transportation will suspend the driver's license or privileges of any such person for 30 days.

If you are convicted of reckless driving the Department of Transportation will require to you purchase SR22 insurance before they will reinstate your license. This requirement will last for three years.

What is inattentive driving?

Inattentive driving is considered a lesser offense to reckless driving. It applies where the vehicle operator has been inattentive, careless or imprudent, in light of the circumstances then existing, rather than heedless or wanton, or in those cases where the danger to persons or property by the motor vehicle operator's conduct is slight. A person convicted of inattentive driving is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be sentenced to jail for not more than ninety (90) days, be fined not more than three hundred dollars ($300), or both. There is no license suspension for this offense and no requirement of SR22 insurance if convicted.