DRIVERS need to be wary of a nationwide crackdown on reckless, careless, or dangerous driving as part of a new initiative.
Law enforcement will be issuing fines and penalties for violations – potentially up to $1,000 depending on state laws and even jail time.
Nationwide crackdown begins as reckless drivers face $1k fines and jail time[/caption]
Higher fines, jail, and suspended licenses await offenders[/caption]
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has launched Operation Safe Driver Week – an annual initiative aimed at reducing unsafe driving behaviors and improving road safety.
Scheduled this year for July 13 to 19, it sees law enforcement across Canada, Mexico and the US focussing on unsafe driving behaviors in both commercial and passenger vehicles.
These include speeding, distracted driving, following too closely and driving under the influence, while the main focus is on reckless, careless, or dangerous driving.
This, by definition, means driving with willful disregard for the safety of others or property, and can include excessive speeding, racing, evading police, or passing dangerously in limited visibility.
States may use different terms like “careless” or “dangerous driving,” but the behaviors and consequences are similar.
As you can imagine, penalties vary from state to state as well.
Typically, reckless driving is considered a misdemeanor but can escalate to felony charges in severe cases – with fines, jail time, higher insurance rates, license suspension and a criminal record all a major risk.
We found that 20 states slap drivers with fines of $1,000 or more for reckless driving.
Indeed, the states with the highest fines for reckless driving are Illinois, with fines up to $25,000 for aggravated reckless driving, and Wisconsin, where reckless driving resulting in great bodily injury can lead to fines up to $10,000.
Other states with severe penalties include Indiana ($10,000 for felony reckless driving), Oregon ($6,250) and Washington ($5,000).
The awareness initiative is driven by alarming road safety statistics, with 42,514 fatalities in the US in 2022, alongside 1,931 fatalities in Canada and 15,979 in Mexico.
To that end, the CVSA emphasizes driver education with resources provided for teen drivers, new drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers.
This includes free postcards with safety messages available in English, French and Spanish for distribution.
States where the penalty for reckless driving includes fines of $1,000 or more
- Alaska: Fine may be up to $1,000 or less.
- Arkansas: Second conviction with physical injury results in fines up to $1,000.
- California: Convictions with bodily injury result in fines up to $1,000.
- Colorado: Multiple convictions can result in fines up to $1,000.
- Delaware: Subsequent offenses within three years can result in fines up to $1,000.
- Georgia: Fines up to $1,000.
- Hawaii: Fine of $1,000 or less.
- Idaho: Subsequent convictions within five years can result in fines up to $2,000.
- Illinois: Aggravated reckless driving can result in fines up to $25,000.
- Indiana: Felonies can result in fines up to $10,000.
- Michigan: Serious bodily injury can result in fines between $1,000 and $5,000.
- Minnesota: Reckless driving resulting in serious injuries can result in fines up to $3,000.
- Nevada: Second and third offenses can result in fines between $1,000 and $2,000.
- North Carolina: Fines up to $1,000.
- North Dakota: Aggravated reckless driving can result in fines up to $2,000.
- Oregon: Maximum fine is $6,250.
- Rhode Island: Second and subsequent offenses can result in fines up to $1,000.
- Vermont: Subsequent offenses or those resulting in serious bodily injury can result in fines up to $3,000.
- Washington: Maximum fine is $5,000.
- Wisconsin: Great bodily injury can result in fines up to $10,000.
This comes as Ford have been sued by a family after they failed to warn the public of a deadly defect in one of their most popular models
The Horn family from Pueblo, Colorado, endured a devastating tragedy when a loved one lost their life in a crash.
Now, according to KKTV, they claim Ford failed to warn the public about what they call a defect with Ford Super Duty pickup trucks – released from 1999 to 2016.
The report claims that Steven Horn was driving a Ford Super Duty pickup with his family in March when wind allegedly caused the truck to roll over.
While his family survived, Steven was crushed by the collapsing roof and killed.
Plaintiff Attorney Jake Berman of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, the law firm representing the Horn family, claims these specific Ford pickups pose a risk to drivers.
What is reckless driving?
Laws across the country are cracking down on careless drivers who endanger other people on the road. Here are some behaviors that are considered reckless driving:
- Speeding
- Street racing
- Aggressive driving/road rage
- Tailgating
- Driving under the influence
- Using a phone while driving
- Running red lights
- Inattentive driving
- Improperly changing lanes
- Not signaling
- Carrying too many passengers
- Weaving in and out of traffic
