Reckless Driving Arizona - road sign with "No reckless driving"

What is Considered Reckless Driving in Arizona?

Not all traffic offenses should be written off as a simple ticket and a guilty plea. As we discussed in a recent blog, the severity of traffic offense varies from offense to offense and as such should be treated differently. A conviction relating to reckless driving in Arizona can result in a heavy fines, a criminal record, and a suspension of your driver’s license–and we all know Arizona’s public transport isn’t exactly top notch.

So how does the law define reckless driving in Arizona? The letter of the law defines reckless driving as “Willful or wanton disregard for the safety of people or property”. Though very subjective, this is usually interpreted as driving at excessively high speeds, tailgating, swerving and overall poor driving.  Due to the subjective nature of these charges, it is often possible to get your charges reduced a non-criminal penalty with the aid of a Certified Criminal Law Specialist like Todd Coolidge.

Reckless Driving Arizona

In most cases, reckless driving in Arizona is considered a Class 2 misdemeanor. The potential consequences of which can include:

  • Up to $750 in fines
  • As many as 4 months behind bars
  • Suspension of your driver’s license

For repeat offenders, the charges are usually increased to a Class 1 misdemeanor and come with the following penalties:

  • Fines reaching $2,500
  • 6 months in jail
  • Driver’s license revocation

Are you facing unreasonable reckless driving charges? Contact Coolidge Law Firm immediately if you want a fighting chance at defending your liberties.

*The information in this blog is for general information purposes only. This blog post should not be taken to constitute a formal recommendation or professional advice. We exclude all representations, warranties, legal liability or responsibility relating to its content.

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (9/1/2016) Nancy <I’m gonna SNAP! (Flickr)