Tennessee Reckless Driving Penalties

The crime of reckless driving in Tennessee is found in the Tenn. Code Annotated 55-10-205. It is defined simply as when “any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” The law doesn’t give any specifics, so police have a lot of discretion in determining what exactly is reckless driving. For instance, the law doesn’t say how fast a motorist has to be driving in order for it to be reckless driving. Twenty-five mph over the speed limit would probably be enough, but a driver might just get a speeding ticket for that. It may depend on the weather, the road, surrounding traffic, even the police officer’s mood that day. Reckless driving in Tennessee is a Class B misdemeanor punishable up to six months. It carries six points for Tennessee-licensed drivers. Twelve points in a 12-month period could subject you to a suspension of your license. If you’ve been given a ticket in the Memphis area for reckless driving, you should contact a traffic attorney. Chances are a lawyer can work for you to get the ticket reduced or dismissed, which means it doesn’t get reported to the Department of Safety, you don’t get points, and it doesn’t make your insurance rates go up. But you’ll probably have to do some work to get that ticket off your record. Many courts require completion of a driver safety class before the ticket is dismissed. You’ll also have to pay court costs. If you would like to keep a ticket off your record, contact Memphis reckless driving lawyer Patrick Stegall. Mr. Stegall handles traffic matters throughout Memphis area courts, including downtown, Collierville, and Germantown. If you’re worried about having to go to court or getting points toward your license, he can help you. Please call him at (901) 205-9894 or send him an email to pstegall@stegall-law.com.