Wreckless Driving?

[Bill Dillow]

I always thought that smoking the tires/taking off aggressively was considered wreckless driving. I found out first hand last Friday that it IS NOT in WV.
At the time, my car had less than 500 miles on it. I do run it like it was meant to be driven but never did the "massive burn-out" on take off yet.

The Story: I leave my neighborhood and get on the main road. It's busy so I wait until I get to the dual highway. It's usually busy with commuters at this time in the evening but there was not a car in sight, only a car that had pulled up behind me (it wasn't a cop either). I dump the clutch at about 3000 with traction control off, the tires were smoking and it was a bit slide ways, to say the least. Anyway, i just shifted to second gear and happened to look in the rear view and saw blue lights. I couldn't believe it, where did he come from is all that was going through my mind along with the wreckless driving ticket i was about to get and the impact on insurance.

He was holding back to see how far i was going to push it but i already started to pull over. I happened to see i was at 58 mph when i saw the lights so i knew i was not speeding (speed limit is 60). The Trooper gets to the window and he asks if i knew why i was pulled over, i said, spinning the tires? I wasn't speeding!! He asked about my driving history (43 and first time ever pulled over).He then asked for the usual info and went back to his car. He came back and told me that he was giving me a warning and that i really did nothing wrong (ticket said improper take off). I then thanked him and asked him what determines wreckless driving. He explained that if i had been in and out of traffic, running up behind cars, out of control, speeding, etc. he could have issued a wreckless driving ticket. He then said, this is a very nice car, be careful and enjoy it!!!

So, as long as you are in control and not "breaking" any traffic violations, there is nothing they can do about spinning the tires.....In WV anyway.

[Gone to the bowtie side]

Kind of like Bill Cosby remarked back in his wild days, "They've got to be coming out of my trunk, man!"

[fastal]

Wreckless driving is a great thing to try for, those wrecks will sure ruin your day

I think reckless driving really depends on the cop and local laws. Out here I've heard of people getting tickets for something like Show of Power when they spin the tires but don't go above the speed limit.

[Abygale]

Nice!

[1320junkie]

reckless driving, laying drag..etc..etc

[VenomZ302]

Unless something's changed in the past 7 years, you have to be able to prove intent to be successfully sentenced for reckless driving in North Carolina. I think that's why the cop ticketed me as such in my accident, because there was NO way they could prove I intended to lose control and consciousness. They told me he didn't give a ticket at the site of the accident, but later came to the hospital and said that his supervisor was requiring that someone get charged.

[JohnInSoCal]

reckless driving code in california is very vague it states

23103. (a) A person who drives a vehicle upon a highway in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.

So that covers quite a bit. Most of the time it's changed to something else if you protest, it's difficult to prove so usually they don't try unless there was some serious accident with injuries involved. 30 MPH over limit can be considered reckless but it's not automatic, I got a 30 over once and was denied bail so I wrote the judge a letter and got it reduced and no court appearance.

As for spinning the tires that is called exhibition of speed in california a misdemeanor. Again the law is vague and you can fight it and get it changed often.

[Captain Awesome]

I think your insurance company will give you a lower price if you're a Wreckless Driver.

[zebra]

around these parts, it's called "exhibition of horsepower"


...which is actually wrong. it's an exhibition of torque

[Cryptos]

You would have gotten two tickets in Hawaii.

§291-2 Reckless driving of vehicle or riding of animals; penalty. Whoever operates any vehicle or rides any animal recklessly in disregard of the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving of vehicle or reckless riding of an animal, as appropriate, and shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.

§291C-103 Racing on highways. (a) Except as provided in section 291C-149, no person shall drive any vehicle in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed record, and no person shall in any manner participate in any race, competition, contest, test, or exhibition prohibited by this section.

(d) "Exhibition of speed or acceleration" means the sudden acceleration of a vehicle resulting in the screeching of the vehicle's tires which is done to intentionally draw the attention of persons present toward the vehicle.

(e) Any person who violates this section, except subsection (d), shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. Any person who violates subsection (d) shall be fined not more than $500 or be sentenced to perform community service, or both.

[lawdogg149]

Well in ga my friend to be reckless you have to be driving without regard to others safety. Simply laying some drag is not. Even on the laying drag law it requires you to be swearing from side to side to be charged. So straight line drags are legal according to GA law. I know this one very well got beat in court about 7 years ago on this one. (((Don't recommend doing it though))

[KJS]

Originally Posted by VenomZ302

Unless something's changed in the past 7 years, you have to be able to prove intent to be successfully sentenced for reckless driving in North Carolina. I think that's why the cop ticketed me as such in my accident, because there was NO way they could prove I intended to lose control and consciousness. They told me he didn't give a ticket at the site of the accident, but later came to the hospital and said that his supervisor was requiring that someone get charged.

Hey Venom - by the way, how are you doing? I remember the pix of your wreck and your post. Are you feeling better? KS

[dragrcr]

Originally Posted by JohnInSoCal

As for spinning the tires that is called exhibition of speed in california a misdemeanor. Again the law is vague and you can fight it and get it changed often.

Yes, I got an exhibition of speed ticket years ago and got it thrown out. There was NO one around to see or hear me spin the tires. It was on a deserted street behing a shopping center.

[VenomZ302]

Originally Posted by KJS

Hey Venom - by the way, how are you doing? I remember the pix of your wreck and your post. Are you feeling better? KS

Uh, not me. My car accident was 7 years ago in a green '97 Camaro that was totalled. My parents may still have pictures, but I don't. The funny thing is that the car looked perfectly fine from the front. The back end was just missing about 2 feet.