The major purpose of traffic laws is to avoid collisions, which is why the courts punish anyone who ignores them. A person is guilty of aggressive driving when they commit more than three driving offenses in one go. Aggressive driving charges can result in costly fines, time in jail and even a license suspension in the worst scenario. However, a charge for a traffic offense does not necessarily lead to a conviction. Those accused of this violation have the right to defend themselves in court.
What aggressive driving means
From 2015 to 2017, aggressive driving caused more than 37% of all fatal crashes in Delaware. The courts take this driving offense seriously because it can harm other people other than the driver, and, because of that, they impose serious penalties on those who drive aggressively. The court considers a person guilty of aggressive driving when they commit at least three of the following driving offenses:
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Making an unsafe lane change
- Running or ignoring traffic lights
- Passing another vehicle on the road shoulder
- Failing to signal when turning
- Failing to stop at the command of a police officer or ignoring a traffic control device
- Overtaking a stopped school bus
- Following another vehicle too closely
- Speeding
The driver must have committed this offense in a single incident for the court to convict them of aggressive driving.
Penalties
The courts in Delaware punish first-time aggressive driving offenders with a sentence of 10 to 30 days in jail and a fine between $100 and $300. The penalties are harsher if the drivers commit a subsequent offense within three years. In that case, the driver would have to pay between $300 and $1000 in fines, spend from 30 to 60 days in jail and face a license suspension for 30 days. Additionally, anyone guilty of this offense has to complete an aggressive driving course.
Your right to defense
If you have a charge for aggressive driving, you must know that not everything is lost yet. A charge for a traffic offense does not necessarily mean that the court will convict you. You may get rid of your charges if the police confused your car with someone else’s or if you had to commit these offenses to avoid a serious accident. Whatever your case is, you have the right to have legal representation in court to minimize your probability of facing the penalties of aggressive driving.
