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Benefits of Virginia Drivers Improvement Courses

In some cases, taking a driver’s improvement class can help mitigate a reckless driving charge. This can be very helpful as it is prosecuted very harshly, especially in Virginia, and is a criminal charge. If you are uncertain as to whether taking a driving class can improve your situation, or if you are an out-of-state driver facing a reckless driving charge, contact an experienced Virginia reckless driving attorney. They will be able to provide advice and recommendations for your unique case.

Driver Improvement Classes

In some cases, if you take a driver’s improvement class, it will help you, but this is not always the case. Sometimes, you do avoid a conviction if you have taken a driver improvement class but it’s not a guarantee. If you’ve already taken a driver improvement class within the last two years then generally the judge isn’t going to be persuaded by you having taken it again. If you have a really bad record, then a driver improvement class may not make a difference either but it will help you get some points back on your license. If you are unsure as to whether a driver’s improvement course will help you, consulting with a Virginia reckless driving attorney will help. They will be able to advise you on the proper course of action regarding the charge based on your prior record.

Sometimes though, if somebody has just a handful of speeding tickets, there’s not really anything on their record, this is the first time they’re being charged with reckless driving, and then they take the driver improvement class, then it’s persuasive enough for the judge to dismiss it or drop it to speeding. Again, it is important to consult with your reckless driving attorney in Virginia to understand whether this will help, the maximum amount of times these classes can be taken, and whether it could help your case by doing so.

Options Available in Virginia

Driving classes are available all over Virginia. The DMV website has a list of all the accessible clinics that offer driver improvement courses. The classes range in expense depending on whose course it is but generally, they’re under $100 and completely worth the money.

The standard driver improvement class is eight hours long and then has a final exam. You can take it online, which doesn’t require you to take eight hours in a row so you can split it up however you want and then take the final exam at the testing site, or you can take it in person which would be eight hours in a row plus the exam with a break for lunch in the middle.

Taking a driving class can show the judge that you’re truly serious about trying to prevent future driving issues. It demonstrates that someone is being proactive in improving their driving. Sometimes, it can impact their case by convincing a judge to reduce the Virginia reckless driving charge if the driver has taken a class beforehand.

Taking Driving Classes Out-of-State

Taking a class that is approved by the Virginia DMV is always the best bet. This is true regardless of where you live or where you are licensed. Remember, someone is taking a driver improvement course to convince a Virginia judge that you are serious about not re-offending. Taking a class that the judge is familiar with is important. Now that Virginia-approved classes are available on line, there is no reason not to take a Virginia-approved course.

If you have a driver’s license in Virginia, then taking the class in Virginia will result in five positive points on your driver’s license. If you take it in another state, and you have another state driver’s license then it may result in positive points there. But if you take a Virginia class and you have a license from another state, it’s not always guaranteed that the points will transfer.

This is something that you should ask your state DMV to see which one is better. Generally, taking any driver improvement classes is going to be a mitigating factor.