Advantage of Taking a Driving Class After a Reckless Driving Charge
For those facing reckless driving charges in the City of Richmond, taking a driving class may be a way to help your case and demonstrate that you are taking your charge seriously. Below, a Richmond reckless driving lawyer discusses driving classes including where you can find one and how it can help your case. To discuss what taking a driving class can do for you, call and schedule a consultation with an attorney today.
Taking a Driving Class as Mitigation
In some cases a court may refer you to a driving school to avoid conviction on a reckless driving case. A lot of that will depend on the court’s policy, the speed at issue, and your driving record. If it’s an aggravated case, doing a driving school prior to court could be used toward mitigation of a case.
It is not true that you can take driving classes to avoid a conviction in a reckless driving case. That said, there are some instances in which the court will agree to refer you to a driving course in exchange for a future dismissal or a future reduction. However, there’s no guarantee that if you attend driving school in advance of a court date that a judge will simply dismiss the charge.
Driving Schools Available in Richmond
Driving school classes are available in Richmond. There are online classes as well as in-person classes. In many cases, you can also do driving school online as there are various levels of driving school. These classes range from an afternoon up to a two-day course, which is for an aggressive driving school.
These classes are offered by private companies as well as groups like AARP, and even some insurance companies offer them. These classes can vary in price from $50 to upwards of $110. You can go to the Virginia DMV website to find driving school courses or driving school providers in your area.
A driving school can have a significant impact on your case. It shows the court that you’re taking the matter seriously and that you are trying to address the violation. It also shows the court that you’re being proactive to avoid repeating your infraction. It can be a significant mitigating factor.
In addition to that, Richmond and Richmond Capital area VASAP offers the RADAP program. This is a two-day driving school, also referred to as the reckless driving school. This is typically done if it’s an aggravated case and you have a good record, or if you previously done a driving school before. The cost for driving schools can vary anywhere between $50 and $90.
Time Commitment for Richmond Driving Classes
Typically, the time commitment for driving school courses is between five and eight hours for the standard course, whether that’s online or in person. If it’s an aggressive driving school or what’s called RADEP, it’s usually a 12- to 14-hour course over two days.
Driving school classes can vary in the time commitment involved. You can take classes online or in person. Most in person classes are anywhere between six to eight hours, while the RADAP course, or the reckless driving course, is 12 hours over two days.
Taking Driving Classes Out-of-State
Richmond will allow you to take driving courses in another state, and taking the courses will still help. Richmond courts will allow you to take a driving course in another state as long as you can provide the Court with an original certificate of completion that shows how many hours the course was and that it was certified by that state’s DMV. This shows a commitment on behalf of the driver to address the issue and could be used towards mitigation. However, a lot will depend on your particular case. It’s always best to speak with a Richmond reckless driving attorney before you rush out and sign up for a driving school because there are some cases in which it’s better to hold off and see if a court will refer you to a driving school. In other cases, it’s better to complete the courses in advance of court.
