Should I plead guilty to careless driving in Pennsylvania

If you're charged with a Pennsylvania DUI, the district attorney may offer you a chance to plead guilty to reduced charges and/or diminished repercussions in a plea bargain. Your best option in your Pennsylvania DUI case may be to take your case to trial, but in some cases a skillfully negotiated plea bargain may offer the most favorable outcome. A skilled Pennsylvania DUI attorney from Zachary B. Cooper, Attorney at Law, P.C. can help you determine whether a plea bargain such as reckless driving is in your best interests.

Pleading guilty to reckless driving has considerable advantages over a Pennsylvania DUI conviction. If you are offered this type of plea bargain, you should seriously consider it. Reckless driving carries far fewer repercussions than a DUI conviction and cannot be considered as a prior conviction if you are again arrested for driving under the influence.

The district attorney is most likely to allow you to plead guilty to reckless driving if your blood alcohol content (BAC) was very close to the legal limit of 0.08 percent. If you plead guilty to reckless driving, you will likely pay a fine and may be placed on probation and/or required to attend classes.

Pleading guilty to reckless driving in a Pennsylvania DUI plea bargain may offer the best opportunity to resolve your driving under the influence case. A qualified Pennsylvania DUI defense attorney from Zachary B. Cooper, Attorney at Law, P.C. will help you to find the best possible resolution in your driving under the influence case.

Careless Driving is one of the most commonly cited violations in the Lehigh Valley.  Part of the reason that it is cited so often is that the Pennsylvania legislature has left the definition so broad.  75 Pa.C.S.A. 3714 defines Careless Driving as follows:

“Any person who drives a vehicle in careless disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of careless driving, a summary offense”

Our Lehigh Valley Traffic Attorneys in Easton, Pennsylvania are here to help.  While careless driving does not require any other traffic violation in conjunction with it, it is still quite defensible.  Police will often charge careless driving in any case where there is an accident.  But, the Pennsylvania Courts have overruled these tickets on numerous occasions because accidents are unavoidable in many circumstances.  Additionaly, weather and driving conditions may be a defense to the citation.  Finally, the police may not be able to prove their case without expert testimony in many cases, which the rarely can produce.

If you’re facing a careless driving ticket in Easton, Allentown or Bethlehem, or anywhere else in Lehigh County and Northampton County, contact are Lehigh Valley Traffic Defense Lawyers for more information.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will add points to your record if you plead guilty, or are found guilty, of many moving traffic violations.

With six or more points on your driving record, you may have to pay more for your car insurance. You may also risk having your license suspended. If you recently received several points on your record after a driving offense, call Mike Worgul or Samir Sarna at (412) 281-2146 to discuss your case. We offer free consultations.

Traffic Violations and Points

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) uses a point system to track your behavior on the road.

Most moving violations will put points on your driving record. Some typical violations and the points they carry, include:

  • Failure to obey authorized person directing traffic — 2 points
  • Violation of restriction on driver’s license (wearing glasses, etc.) — 2 points
  • Failure to stop for a red light — 3 points
  • Improper passing at a bridge or tunnel — 3 points
  • Following too closely (tailgating) — 3 points
  • Failure to stop for stop sign — 3 points
  • Illegal U-turns — 3 points
  • Failure to stop at railroad crossings — 4 points
  • Careless driving — 3 points
  • Leaving the scene of an accident with property damage — 4 points
  • Exceeding the speed limit by six to 10 MPH — 2 points
  • Exceeding the speed limit by 11 to 15 MPH — 3 points and a 15-day suspension if it occurs in a work zone
  • Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 25 MPH: 4 points and a 15-day license suspension if it occurs in a work zone
  • Exceeding the speed limit by 26 to 30 MPH: 5 points and a 15-day license suspension if it occurs in a work zone
  • Exceeding the speed limit by 31 MPH or more: 5 points, a 15-day license suspension if it occurs in a work zone. The hearing officer may also give you additional penalties.

Did You Know That You Can Get Points Removed?

For every 12 consecutive months after the date of your last offense that you drive without a traffic conviction, you can get three points taken off your record.

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Steps to Take if You Are Charged

When you receive the citation from the police officer who issues it, be sure to check it over for accuracy. Key items to note are your name, date of birth, address, driver’s license number, and other identifying information. If there are any issues with the citation, contact the court to get this fixed. If your name is misspelled or your driver’s license has two digits swapped, that doesn’t mean you can get out of the ticket. You have 10 days to respond to the citation. If you don’t, you could face additional fees and possibly even a driver’s license suspension.

When faced with a traffic ticket, it’s worth contacting an experienced Pittsburgh traffic lawyer to determine what your options are. If you pay the ticket, you’re agreeing to points on your license and that you effectively committed the offense with which you were charged. That also means a potential increase in your auto insurance once your insurance company sees that you have recently committed a traffic offense. This could have a lasting impact on your premiums and ability to obtain coverage. Call an experienced criminal defense lawyer at our firm today at (412) 281-2146 or contact us online.

Can you fight a careless driving ticket PA?

Police will often charge careless driving in any case where there is an accident. But, the Pennsylvania Courts have overruled these tickets on numerous occasions because accidents are unavoidable in many circumstances. Additionaly, weather and driving conditions may be a defense to the citation.

What is the penalty for careless driving in PA?

The traffic offense of Careless Driving carries 3 points on your driver's license and a fine ranging from $25 to $200. Under Section 3714 of the PA Motor Vehicle Code, a person commits a careless driving offense when they drive a vehicle in careless disregard for the safety of persons or property.

What happens if you are charged with careless driving?

Careless driving (driving without due care and attention) This could result in a driving ban, an unlimited fine, or a prison sentence of up to five years.

How can police prove careless driving?

For the prosecution to prove the offence of driving without reasonable consideration, it must show that other road users were inconvenienced by the defendant's driving, although this can be proved by inference. Other road users can include passengers in the defendant's car.