Help with reckless driving in va?

[janyd]

I was in a car accident this morning on my way to work. I went around a sharp turn and ended up in a ditch (it was raining and my brakes locked up). When the cops arrived I was given a reckless driving ticket. I am confused as to why I was given the ticket it the first place, as it was an accident. And what I could be facing as a result of the ticket. Everywhere I see penalties for this is when they are excessively speeding. Extra info, no one else was involved in the accident.

[teyo]

You had to have been going too fast for the road conditions. Fight it in court if you want, but you likely won't win. To go in a ditch in just rain (not snow or ice) you were going too fast and if your brakes locked up you had to have slammed on them.

[cruz50]

An accident occurs when something is NOT preventable. An example would be a rock falls off a cliff on to your car. You were in a crash. The crash occurred because of your negligence. In this case you were going too fast for conditions, you applied your brakes while your vehicle was travelling in a curve (as opposed to before the curve - when it is required). You most likely failed to properly inflate your tires to take in account water on the roadway.

The crash investigator determined that not only were you travelling too fast for conditions, your level of speed was excessive.

In my state the fine is $1000 and 8 points on your license. For a driver 18 years old or younger it also has a mandatory one year driver's license suspension.

Hope this helps.

[favian]

In other jurisdictions, it is called speed in excess of conditions or something similar. It is about the same as a speeding ticket, and since there was no injury or damage to other's property, you might even be able to take a defensive driving course to keep this off your record.