VA’s manageability rating might be high, but it’s goin’ down the tubes…I’m tired of these weaselly Big Whigs pocketing my money…It’s gonna stop, but NOT b/f these sleazy pencil-pushers are put out of business for good!
(NC’s lookin’ more and more attractive every day.)

This greed for revenue is resulting in all sorts of abuse such as examples of shortening the yellow light timing to increase the citations and the resulting revenue. Do you believe this abuse is OK?

More than what Phil has stated, since the Abuser Fees were enacted, citations for reckless driving dropped 26%, indicating a decrease in the number of reckless drivers, the willingness of the state to prosecute drivers for reckless behavior, or some combination of the two.

Abuser fees begot fewer reckless drivers begot less traffic cases.

p.s. The claim that abuser fees made some individuals shell out $3,000 per instances is a drastic misrepresentation of the bills language. This fine only applies to those convicted of a felony.

Instead of being cited for exceeding the speed limit or failure to signal or yield right of way a driver in Virginia can also be cited for reckless driving.
Do I have this right?

Reckless Driving in Virginia

VA Code § 46.2-852. Reckless driving; general rule
Irrespective of the maximum speeds permitted by law, any person who drives a vehicle on any highway recklessly or at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person shall be guilty of reckless driving in Virginia.

VA Code § 46.2-853. Driving vehicle which is not under control; faulty brakes
VA Code § 46.2-854. Passing on or at the crest of a grade or on a curve
VA Code § 46.2-855. Driving with driver’s view obstructed or control impaired
VA Code § 46.2-856. Passing two vehicles abreast
VA Code § 46.2-857. Driving two abreast in a single lane
VA Code § 46.2-858. Passing at a railroad grade crossing.
VA Code § 46.2-860. Failing to give proper signals
VA Code § 46.2-861. Driving too fast for highway and traffic conditions
A person shall be guilty of reckless driving in Virginia who exceeds a reasonable speed under the circumstances and traffic conditions existing at the time, regardless of any posted speed limit.
VA Code § 46.2-862. Exceeding speed limit
A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of twenty miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit or (ii) in excess of eighty miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit.
VA Code § 46.2-863. Failure to yield right-of-way
A person shall be guilty of reckless driving in Virginia who fails to bring his vehicle to a stop immediately before entering a highway from a side road when there is traffic approaching on such highway within 500 feet of such point of entrance, unless (i) a “Yield Right-of-Way” sign is posted or (ii) where such sign is posted, fails, upon entering such highway, to yield the right-of-way to the driver of a vehicle approaching on such highway from either direction.
VA Code § 46.2-864. Reckless driving on parking lots, etc.
VA Code § 46.2-865. Racing
VA Code § 46.2-865.1. Injuring persons while engaging in a race
VA Code § 46.2-866. Racing; aiders or abettors
Any person in Virginia, although not engaged in a race as defined in§ 46.2-865, who aids or abets any such race, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
VA Code § 46.2-867. Racing;
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Do drivers as they reach for the keys to their car even think about fines?
Or do drivers just want to get from one place to another without injury to themselves or their car?
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The leading causes of accidents are Distractions to the driver(80%) Driving while exhausted,Inclement weather,Drunk Driving,not driving 20 miles over the speed limit or failure to signal, violations which are enough to have a reckless driving violation in Virginia.

It would be interesting to have the study mentioned by Phil posted on this site to see what factors were involved in a reduction of violations other than abusive driver penalties and WHO the study was done by.

If the number of violations (guilty verdicts) are the criteria on which the study bases it’s 11% decrease this is different than the study being based on how many drivers were CITED for Reckless Driving in Virginia.

The decrease may be due to drivers facing serious penalties retaining a lawyer who was able to get the abusive driver charges dismissed.

Lawyers taking cases that involve serious penalties can charge a higher fee and handle less cases with the same amount of income or more.A reduction in cases doesn’t = a reduction in income necessarily.

It stands to reason if a lawyer is handling traffic ticket cases he would benfit from stiffer penalties given to drivers for violating a vehicle code.
Cited drivers who would normally pay the fine if the fine was less bother than fighting a traffic ticket are much more likely to have a lawyer handle his case if the penalties are high.

If a lawyer were truly concerned about defending his clients he should be recommending laws that give the cited driver more rights and the ABOLISHMENT OF charging a driver with reckless driving when the driver is cited for speeding, failure to signal, failure to yield where there is clearly no apparent danger at the time the driver is cited.

The lawyer should be pushing that the driver be cited in these cases for reckless driving ONLY when an accident has occurred or there is absolute evidence that another driver was forced off the road, laid rubber or had to take extreme action to avoid an accident.

Isn’t this unethical?
If the lawyer is practicing as a defence attorney what is he doing promoting hefty fines for those he is supposed to be representing?
As the old saying goes with friends like this who needs enemies?
Has this been reported to the American Bar Association in his state? If so what was their response?