Speedometer Calibrations After a Norfolk Reckless Driving Charge

When a person is charged with reckless driving in Norfolk they should look to use any defense they can to lower their charge to a speeding ticket or traffic infraction. With the assistance of an experienced local attorney, it may be possible to use a speedometer calibration as a defense, showing that the driver was not aware of their own speed. This argument can sometimes be enough to lower a reckless driving charge to a none criminal offense.

What is Speedometer Calibration?

A speedometer calibration is a procedure that a mechanic performs in order to measure the accuracy of a vehicle’s speedometer. Basically, it is used to determine whether the vehicle’s speedometer is calibrated properly which means that it is measuring the speed correctly when someone is driving. It prints out a report showing whether the speedometer was off and if it is off, it reports by how many miles per hour. In speed related cases, if it is determined that the speedometer was in fact not calibrated properly that can be extremely helpful.

It is possible to get a speedometer calibrated at most auto mechanics. Calibration is not particularly expensive, and usually costs about $75.

Impact on a Reckless Driving Case

A calibration of the driver’s speedometer can help them in their reckless driving case if their speedometer was off and was measuring their speed as lower. If this is the case than it provides an argument for the individual’s attorney that part of the reason for the driver going at the alleged speed was due to the fact that they were following the speed on their incorrect speedometer.

This sometimes can result in the judge adjusting the charged speed by whatever amount the speedometer was off by, within reason. For a reckless driving case in Norfolk where the speed was very close to the line between reckless driving and a traffic infraction, the calibration can be enough evidence to have the charge reduced to a much more manageable and less serious offense.

Legal Standards of Speedometer Calibrations

It is not the law in Norfolk that if someone’s speedometer is off, the speeding is no longer their fault. Sometimes a speedometer can be so off that the judge argues that the defendant should have known that their speedometer was not working properly because the numbers are so different from what they actually should have been. However, oftentimes, it is only a little bit off; in these cases it can be a mitigating factor if the driver can persuade the judge that they were not aware that their speedometer was working improperly. It is not a guaranteed successful argument in every single case, but a lot of times, it does make a positive difference.

Other Important Facts

People should know that a speedometer calibration is not always going to be effective in having their charge reduced. They should know that there are only some situations where it can make a difference. For example, in cases where the speed is not very, very far over the posted speed limit. In cases where the speed is over 30 miles per hour however, often, a speedometer calibration doesn’t do anything for the driver’s case at all.