Hampton Traffic Enforcement

Hampton, Virginia is  located  on the peninsula next to Newport News, just a short drive over the water from Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Hampton is approximately three and a half hours from DC and Northern Virginia. The travel time can vary because of a large amount of travellers in Virginia’s highway leading into Hampton.  Norfolk and Virginia Beach are approximately 35 to 40 minutes from Hampton. Using the bridges and tunnels. Hampton is centrally located in the Hampton roads area and is close to the major cities nearby.

Due to the high volume of traffic a large number of traffic tickets and citations of issued, all of which carry fines, and some of which are criminal violations as well. For this reason, if you are pulled over and cited for breaking a traffic law it is important that you consult with a traffic attorney in Hampton to protect your rights and ensure that your driving record is protected as much as possible.

Major Highways in Hampton

There is one major highway that goes through Hampton and that is Interstate 64. Many people use this highway to travel through Hampton on their way to Norfolk and Virginia Beach and going through Hampton. It is a popular route to travel on the highway and sees a large amount of traffic.

Traffic Enforcement in Hampton, Virginia

Traffic violations are heavily enforced in Hampton and they can also be criminal offenses. There are some traffic violations that are considered a class one misdemeanor which is the most serious class of misdemeanor. A conviction of one of these is punishable of up to 12 months of jail and up to a $2,500 fine which makes it imperative that a Hampton traffic lawyer is contacted..

Common Traffic Violations Enforced in Hampton

Driving on a Suspended License

Driving on a suspended license is a traffic violation that is also a criminal offense. There are a variety of reasons someone’s license could be suspended such as accumulating too many DMV demerit points, receiving a DUI or reckless driving conviction, failing to pay court fines or failing to complete a required driving program, among many violations.

Furthermore, being convicted of a driving on a suspended license results in more suspended time on top of the time the license was originally suspended for in the first place. This means that if someone is caught and convicted of driving on a suspended license, and their license had been suspended, say for six months, then the license will be re-suspended for another six months that will not begin to run until the first six months already ended. The punishment accumulates with each subsequent offense, and the consequences become more severe and include an active jail sentence of a mandatory minimum of up to ten days for each subsequent. Another example is driving under the influence.

Driving While Intoxicated

A DUI conviction usually means a one year driver’s license suspension, and a mandatory alcohol assessment,  treatment and education program. In addition, an ignition interlock system put into the driver’s vehicle, expensive fees to cover everything and a jail sentence. Just as the punishment increases for each subsequent driving on a suspended license conviction, the punishment for DUI gets worse for each subsequent offense as well. For a first time DUI, there is a mandatory five days in jail. Any convictions after that carries a higher mandatory minimum depending on the length of time since the last DUI conviction.

Reckless Driving in Hampton

A final example is reckless driving.  In Virginia, reckless driving includes many different types of moving violations. This typically entails operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner that endangers life, limb or property or operating a vehicle speed that is generally considered to be reckless.