Georgia law makes it a misdemeanor to drive a vehicle with a "reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property". Additionally, the Georgia Department of Driver Services will add 4 points to your driving record if you are convicted of reckless driving. Reckless driving, by itself, does not get transferred to your criminal record, although it will show on your criminal record if your original charges (mainly DUI charges) were reduced or dropped in exchange for a plea to reckless driving.
In some cases a reckless driving makes sense. Usually, if your attorney does a good job defending a DUI case and had gotten the prosecutor to agree to a plea of reckless driving, it is a beneficial plea. In other cases, a reckless driving charge can appear to be a harsh, overly-aggressive charge to prosecute. For instance, common traffic violations are sometimes drawn up as a reckless driving depending on the various circumstances in your case. While driving 105 mph on an empty stretch of I-20 maybe simply a speeding citation, the same action of driving 105 mph through rush hour traffic on I-285 or GA 400 would most likely be prosecuted as reckless driving. The key difference is whether your actions are putting other people or property in danger. This will turn on the facts of your particular case.
If you have been charged with reckless driving, either by itself or as part of other charges, call our office today. We handle hundreds of traffic, misdemeanor and felony cases each year and will be happy to speak to you about your reckless driving charges and give you our insight on the best defense to your charges.