You see the sirens in your rearview mirror, and you know you are caught. You pull over and, as you wait for the officer to approach your window, you start thinking of excuses for why you were speeding. After all, you've heard of people talking their way out of a ticket, so why not give it a try? Well, if it involves telling a lie, we don't recommend giving it a try. Virginia police officers have heard it all, and you would be better off not saying any more than you have to and calling a criminal defense attorney if you get a reckless driving ticket.

Lame Excuses That Won't Help Your Cause

Police Officer Talking to a Driver on a Reckless Driving StopMaybe your wife really is in labor, and you're speeding to get her to the hospital. If this is the case, it will be clear to the officer who pulled you over. Most of the time, however, you are speeding simply because you are running late or are frustrated with other drivers. In these situations, it's probably best to not try one of the following excuses for speeding:

  • I was going with the flow of traffic. No traffic cop is going to accept the "Everyone is doing it" excuse, even if it's true. It's your bad luck that he picked you out of the crowd, and whining about it is not going to turn his sympathies your way.
  • My speedometer must be wrong. If you are being charged with reckless driving, you were probably clocked going over 20mph over the speed limit. It's possible that your speedometer is inaccurate, but no officer will accept that it was that far off.
  • I have a bathroom emergency. Yep, people really do try this all the time. Some are even willing to be graphic about it to try to make the officer uncomfortable enough to let them off. However, this kind of weak excuse is probably only going to make the officer mad.
  • You got the wrong car. This excuse is risky because it accuses the officer of making a mistake, and that's not something you want to do. If you pulled over when the police car came up behind you, and the officer pulled over behind you, you can be sure it's you he wants!

If you are unsuccessful at talking your way out of the ticket, you might think you can make your case by representing yourself before a judge with similar defenses. We discourage that even more than we discourage the roadside excuses.

Reckless Driving Is a Criminal Offense, and You Need a Criminal Defense Attorney

It is human nature to try to get out of trouble, but when it comes to criminal charges, sometimes the less you say, the better. There are reasonable defenses that can be used to reverse or reduce the charges against you, but you should leave that up to an experienced reckless driving defense attorney. If you get a ticket for reckless driving in Virginia, contact James E. Short, PLC, before you make any excuses. We will help you fight the charge and avoid the most serious consequences.

 

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