Reckless driving in Virginia is a serious misdemeanor offense. Apparently it’s taken seriously in Australia too.
This video shows an 81-year-old Australian driver going the wrong way on the road for several miles. You can see him through the lens of several traffic cameras. He’s weaving in and out of LOTS of traffic and miraculously doesn’t hit anyone.
This driver had his license revoked, and he was fined. He didn’t get jail time.
If this happened in Virginia, I’ll bet the guy would’ve been punished more harshly. I’ve seen cases where a person accidentally turned the wrong way on a road and was charged with Virginia reckless driving. But in those cases, the driver usually realizes the problem quickly and doesn’t travel long on the wrong side. After all, once you come across the first vehicle traveling the OTHER way, wouldn’t you freak out and stop?
In minimal cases, we might be able to argue it’s really just improper driving. Or we could at least argue that the driver’s license shouldn’t be suspended.
However, if a person drove in Virginia like the guy in the above video, I’ll bet he would get jail time. For a reckless driving charge here, you’re facing the possibility of up to 12 months in jail. That’s the maximum, which isn’t usually imposed. But I don’t know any judge who would want to see this type of driving. Maybe the person could avoid jail if there was some sort of credible medical situation involved where the driver didn’t know what he was doing.
The moral of the story: reckless driving in Virginia can be tough, especially if you drive the wrong way down the road.