Speed Limit Laws in Richmond

In Richmond, the speed limit is the acceptable safe speed in a particular area and you are required to follow that speed limit. Trying to claim that you felt that a higher speed was safe is not a defense. The highest speed in the City of Richmond is 65 miles per hour. One of the risks of driving at such high speeds is that your reaction time is reduced. Also, if there is an accident, the severity of such an accident is increased. Speed limits are put in place to keep people safe while on the roads, which is why Richmond law enforcement officials prosecute speeding violations harshly.

Absolute Speed Limit

An absolute speed limit is the precise posted speed limit. There really is no trick to it. If the speed limit sign says 55, then the absolute speed limit is 55. If you’re going 56 miles per hour, then technically you are violating the law.

Richmond doesn’t have an absolute presumed speed limit. However, it does have something called accepted speed limits in certain areas. In residential and commercial areas, the accepted speed limit is usually 25. On highways, it’s 55. You are not allowed to drive over the speed limit by any number of miles per hour in the City of Richmond. It is not true that the posted speed limit is 10 miles below the safe speed to drive. The speed limit given on a sign is usually seen to be the maximum safe speed.

Presumed Speed Limit

If there’s no speed limit sign, you are expected to drive at the safest speed in that particular area. This is where presumed speed limits can come into the equation.A presumed speed limit is a speed limit that is accepted in an area where there is no sign. For instance, in residential zones throughout the City of Richmond, the presumed speed limit is 25. If it’s an interstate or a highway, it’s presumed to be 55.

Basic Speed Limits

The basic speed limit is the minimum speed that you can drive safely on a road.

The difference between a minimum speed limit and a presumed speed limit is that a presumed speed is the maximum speed you can drive on a road. For instance, the presumed speed limit in a residential area is 25, so that’s technically the fastest that you’re allowed to drive there.

A minimum speed, on the other hand, is the slowest speed at which you can drive on a road. If you’re on a highway and you’re driving 35 miles per hour, that’s below the minimum speed that you can safely drive on that road because it would create a safety hazard. Someone who is not driving the basic speed limit can also receive a traffic citation.

Defenses Against Violating the Speed Limit in Richmond

Going with the flow of traffic is not a defense that a Richmond speeding ticket attorney would use while defending a client. It cannot be raised as one and the courts will not accept it. However, it can be used as a mitigating factor in court if you wish to explain why you were speeding. The main defense for exceeding the speed limit in Richmond is a medical emergency for you or a family member. The courts will routinely accept that as a defense.

Mitigating Circumstances for Speeding

There are mitigating circumstances for speeding, such as:

  • you have a medical emergency,
  • there’s a defect in the speedometer, or
  • you have a perfect driving record and this is an isolated incident.