Reckless driving occurs when someone drives in a way that endangers the lives of others. There are numerous different factors that may impact a reckless driving charge, including the weather conditions, the time of day, the presence of other people and the condition of the vehicle in question. It’s worth noting that reckless driving is not just simple negligence. For a driver to be found guilty of reckless driving, he or she must have willfully acted with a disregard for the safety of other people on the road. If a prosecutor can show that the driver either knew or should have known the dangers of his or her actions, then a conviction becomes more likely. An additional challenge to a defendant in a reckless driving case is that a prosecutor does not have to demonstrate that anyone was actually placed in danger because of the driver’s actions. The driver can be found guilty even if no one else is on the roadway — it would not stop his or her actions from having been reckless, as they are still endangering the driver’s life and property. What are the penalties for reckless driving? Reckless driving is a serious traffic offense in Maryland. If convicted, you could face jail, significant fines, license revocation and probation, among other potential penalties. In many situations, reckless driving is classified as a misdemeanor, which means jail time and fines would not be as severe as they would be in a felony DUI case, for example. There are, however, cases in which reckless driving could be classified as a felony if the driver’s recklessness led to injuries to other people. To learn more about reckless driving charges and how you can defend against them, speak with an experienced La Plata criminal defense lawyer at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.