Aggravated Speeding and Reckless Driving in Illinois

 Posted on December 17,2015 in Traffic Law

Everyone gets speeding tickets once in a while. There are myriad of reasons for it—and while it sometimes may be possible to “talk yourself out of a ticket” with Illinois police officers, if you are pulled over for aggravated speeding, the chance of getting a ticket, and a hefty one, increases exponentially. While a normal speeding ticket may only result in supervision as a sentencing option, if the speed at which you were driving can be categorized as aggravated speeding, Illinois state law allows for a misdemeanor conviction. This is true whether you are found guilty in court or whether you enter a guilty plea for the speeding offense.

So what classifies as aggravated speeding in Illinois? If you are found to be going more than 26 miles over the posted speed limit—regardless of the reason, even if it is a qualifiable emergency—you are subject to an aggravated speeding charge. This charge will stay on your driving record for up to seven years.

The effects of aggravated speeding are not only legal in nature. A person guilty of the charge will likely have a severe effect on his driver’s record and insurance rates. Insurance rates, of course, increase significantly when a person is found guilty of so-called normal speeding. By some estimates, the national average cost of car insurance increases a surprising 22 percent with a reckless driving charge. This is a higher rate of increase than even a DUI charge carries, which averages about 19 percent.

Reckless Driving

A reckless driving charge in Illinois can result if the driver is found to have driven a vehicle with “willful or wanton” disregard for other drivers on the road and other person’s property (including personal and public). A driver may also be found guilty of reckless driving if he purposefully launches the vehicle into the air after approaching an incline, such as a bridge or railroad crossing. At its most basic, reckless driving is a misdemeanor. This charge intensifies when a person is convicted of aggravated reckless driving, which is a reckless driving charge that resulted in the bodily harm permanent disfigurement of another person. This charge carries the weight of a Class 4 felony in Illinois.

If you or someone you know has been charged with aggravated speeding or reckless driving, the most important step is to seek legal counsel. Do not go through it alone. Contact an experienced Lake County criminal defense attorney today.

Sources:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K11-503

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2012/05/17/how-moving-violations-jack-up-your-auto-insurance-rates/

https://www.isba.org/sections/trafficlaw/newsletter/2015/06/excessiveaggravatedspeeding