We've all had it happen. That big old, honkin' pick-up truck lumbers past us on I-95, then (snarkily) cuts us off, riding off into the wild blue yonder.
"You'll get what's coming to you!" you yell. Or better yet, "Someone's in a hurry to get to hell!" Reckless drivers seem to bring out the "old person" in all of us, don't they?
But do they ever get what's coming to them?
Last year, Virginia was ranked No. 3 when it comes to the worst drivers in the country. The question remains: How do our traffic enforcement and laws stack up?
Well, according to a WalletHub study, Virginia is pretty tough on speeding and reckless drivers, compared to other states. We tie for No. 8. Other states in the top 10 included Delaware (No. 1), Colorado (No. 2), Arizona and New Mexico (tied for No. 3), California (No. 4), Oregon (No. 6), North Carolina (No. 7), and Illinois, Alabama, and Washington (who Virginia tied for No. 8).
The very worst state on the list was Texas (surprised?), followed by Mississippi, Oklahoma, New Jersey, and Nebraska.
Curious what Virginia's laws and penalties are exactly? So were we. Virginia's speeding penalties can be found here.
To come up with their report, WalletHub measured all 50 states and the District of Columbia on a scale of 30. There were 14 points possible in Speeding categories:
Speeding Automatically Considered Reckless Driving
Type of Speed Limit
Average Increase in Cost of Insurance After One Speeding Ticket
Laws in Place Prohibiting Racing on Highway
Does the State Use Automatic Speed Cameras
Additional Penalties for Aggressive Driving
How Much Do Speeding Tickets Count Toward a Suspension)
... and 16 points possible in Reckless Driving categories:
Mandatory License Suspension (for first conviction)
Minimum Jail Time (for first conviction)
Maximum Fine (for first conviction)
Minimum Jail Time (for second conviction)
Maximum Fine (for second conviction)
Virginia scored a 14 out of 30. By comparison, No. 1 Delaware scored a 20, while Texas scored a lowly 2.5. Virginia actually came in 25th for reckless driving penalties, but was No. 1 in speed enforcement.
To read the full methodology and report, click here.
What do you think? Do you feel Virginia's laws are strict enough? Too strict? Sound off in the comments below!
