Every 24 seconds, someone dies on the road. That’s a pretty grim statistic, especially considering that most of these deaths were avoidable.
In 2021, U.S. traffic fatalities hit a 16-year high, and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) attributes this to a significant increase in reckless behavior on the road.
Distracted driving is the most common form of reckless driving. According to the NHTSA, drivers are distracted by their phones at least 10% of the time while they’re behind the wheel. In addition to talking and texting while driving, other forms of distracted driving include eating, taking pictures, applying makeup, and engaging in other types of activities while driving.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, things have been getting worse. In 2020, despite an 11% decline in miles driven, there was a 6.8% increase in fatal motor vehicle crashes. During the first half of 2021, speeding tickets issued by the California Highway Patrol for driving more than 100 mph were nearly double pre-pandemic levels. The rise in speeding and aggressive driving remains a continued concern not just in California, but across the nation.
And in the first nine months of 2021, there was a 12% increase in fatal crashes. This is largely attributed to reckless driving behaviors like speeding or failing to wear a seatbelt.
It's up to each and every driver to understand what types of behaviors are considered reckless and to take steps to avoid them.
Examples of Reckless Driving
The basic definition of reckless driving is driving that shows irreverence for or indifference to the safety or property of others. In some states, the physical and/or mental state of the driver is also a determining factor. In other states, certain violations are considered inherently reckless. This can include:
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Racing other vehicles
Passing on blind curves
Swerving and cutting in and out of lanes
Passing school buses with their stop signs down
Going around railroad barriers
Running a red light or stop sign
High-mph speeding
Reckless driving can also involve ignoring basic safety precautions. In some states, even failing to use a seatbelt properly can be considered reckless driving.
Reckless Driving Laws and Facts
As with all driving laws, what’s considered reckless driving varies from one state to the next. In many states, reckless driving is often labeled a misdemeanor crime, rather than a simple traffic violation. As such, it’s a charge that will go on your permanent driving record.
If you’re not sure what is and isn’t deemed reckless driving in your state, take a few minutes to look it up on your local DMV or DPS website. As the laws below show, there are some bad driving habits you may never guess would fall under the reckless driving umbrella (and a few that should be obvious).
Fleeing the police qualifies as reckless driving in Florida (and several other states).
In Hawaii, the reckless driving laws include “reckless riding” of an animal.
In Illinois, reckless driving includes intentionally making a vehicle airborne.
In Louisiana, if you fall asleep at the wheel and someone dies, that qualifies as reckless driving.
In Minnesota, racing is reckless driving even if you are racing below the speed limit.
In Nevada and New Hampshire, you don’t have to be driving at all to be guilty of reckless driving. Organizing an unauthorized race on a public highway merits fines and/or jail time in Nevada. In New Hampshire, don’t even think about betting on who has the faster car between two friends. Betting on unauthorized races is illegal too.
In Tennessee, it's best not to pop a wheelie on your motorcycle unless you don’t mind getting popped for reckless driving. Exceptions are granted to people in parades driving less than 30 mph.
In Virginia, driving more than 80 mph is considered reckless. (And that’s six points to your DMV record!)
The best rule of thumb is to consider anything outside of driving by the rules of the road to be reckless. This includes any type of aggressive driving or being impaired even in the slightest. Drive like you’re taking the license exam and you should be fine!
Need To Clean Up Your Driving Record?
If you’ve had a lapse in judgment and engaged in reckless driving, you might have found yourself with a ticket in your hand. The good news is that you may be able to remove points from your license by taking a defensive driving course. Check out IDriveSafely’s online courses today!
*This article was updated on 7/11/22
