Hampton Reckless Driving: Speedometer Calibrations
A speedometer calibration is the procedure that mechanics perform that measures the accuracy of a vehicle’s speedometer. The mechanic will test whether the speedometer has been properly calibrated and will give a printout telling whether the speedometer was off, and if so, by how many miles per hour. Speedometers that have been calibrated incorrectly may work as a potential defense following a Hampton speeding or reckless driving offense.
Someone should know that speedometer calibrations aren’t going to be helpful in every single type of reckless driving or every single type of speeding case. There are instances where it’s not going to make a difference at all and someone shouldn’t have bothered getting it. An attorney can explain to you if your case is one where it would help or if you shouldn’t bother.
Most auto-mechanics perform speedometer calibration and the cost is usually around $75, though it may vary from mechanic to mechanic.
Impact of Speedometer Calibration on Hampton Reckless Driving Charge
If your speedometer was off and the speed that it would have been with an accurate speedometer was lower, then this provides your Hampton reckless driving attorney with the argument that part of the reasons the speed you were driving was so high was because of the incorrect speedometer and not because you are a poor or careless driver. Sometimes this can result in the judge adjusting the defendant’s speed charge by the amount of the speedometer was incorrect by. This is crucial because it in the state of Virginia, reckless driving is actually a Class 1 criminal misdemeanor, with a long and lasting impact on someone’s record. Should a reckless driving charge be lowered to a speeding ticket, which is a traffic infraction, there can be a large benefit.
In reckless driving cases for excessive speed where the speed charge was close to being on the line between a criminal charge or a traffic infraction, a speedometer calibration sometimes can provide enough evidence to have the charge reduced to just speeding. However, people should keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily true for every case. These results often depend on the particular judge that is listening to your case.
Laws About Speedometer Calibration in Hampton
It’s not the law in Hampton, Virginia that if your speedometer is off, it’s not your fault, but sometimes it can be a mitigating factor in someone’s favor. It doesn’t always happen this way but sometimes it can be enough to persuade a judge to reduce the charge to improper driving or to just speeding based on the incorrect speedometer.
A reckless driving attorney in Hampton with experience handling cases with these issues will have knowledge about how to bring these issues up in court. Call today to schedule your consultation and begin discussing how to build a defense for your reckless driving case.