Vehicular crimes, or traffic crimes, are among the most frequently prosecuted criminal offenses in the State of Florida. A vehicular crime can include any violation related to driving, which occurs while an individual operates a motor vehicle on any type of public highway, to which criminal penalties are enforced by Florida law. Driver negligence can have a drastic impact on your life and the safety of others. Florida laws recognize the dramatic effects that reckless driving practices can have. As such, traffic offenses can have serious penalties for the accused.
The severity of the penalties are dependent upon the charge to the alleged offender, including jail time, probation, suspended or revoked driving privileges, and a permanent criminal record. No matter how serious or simple a vehicular crime may seem, those accused with vehicular crimes contact a criminal defense attorney with Silverman and Mack, LLC. We will protect your rights while working toward the best possible outcome.
Common Types Of Vehicular Crimes
Florida has a strict policy for charging and prosecuting vehicular crimes. Gainesville is a city known for its abundance of tourists and college students. Thus, there is a heightened responsibility to protect the public from unnecessary accidents, injuries, and death due to negligent and/or reckless drivers. The most common forms of vehicular crimes include the following. Contact us to speak with an experienced Gainesville attorney about your case.
- Reckless Driving
- Fleeing & Eluding An Officer
- Habitual Traffic Offenders
- Driving While Intoxicated
- Habitual Traffic Offenders
- Driving With A Suspended/Revoked License
Reckless Driving
Florida Statute § 316.192 defines reckless driving as the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner in which the driver demonstrates a willful or wanton disregard to traffic laws and/or to safety. The penalties to charges of reckless driving depend on whether the offense resulted in bodily injury as well as damage to property, as well as the number of any prior offenses.
Driving With A Suspended Or Revoked License
Driving with a suspended or revoked license is a serious crime in the State of Florida. If your license is suspended, revoked, canceled or disqualified — whether or not you have knowledge of the suspension or revocation — you may receive a civil citation or a fine of up to $5,000. For repetitive convictions, individuals who drive with a suspended or revoked license may even be sentenced to prison for up to 5 years in addition to a fine.
Fleeing The Scene Of An Accident
If you are ever involved in a vehicular accident, Florida traffic laws require you to receive medical help and exchange pertinent information (i.e. license number, name, contact number, etc.). Fleeing from the scene of an accident is a serious crime to which severe legal repercussions often result. If your escape is wilful and results in the bodily injury of others, you may be subject to 5 years in prison, 5 years probation, and even a $5,000 fine.
Driving While Intoxicated
In the State of Florida, if you have a blood alcohol level or breath-alcohol level of 0.08 or above and you are driving a vehicle, you can be charged with driving while intoxicated. This is true whether or not your normal faculties are impaired, which is the way to prove an individual drove while intoxicated. For more information about DUI charges, contact our criminal law attorneys.
Habitual Traffic Offenders
Florida Statute § 322.03 defines a habitual traffic offender as “any person whose record, as maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, shows that such person has accumulated the specified number of convictions for offenses described in subsection (1) or subsection (2) within a 5-year period.” Statute subsections include committing a felony while using a motor vehicle; driving a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license; voluntary or involuntary manslaughter from operating a motor vehicle; and failing to stop and provide aid to motor vehicle crash victims; among others.
Fleeing & Eluding An Officer
Fleeing and eluding is the failure of a driver to stop or remain stopped when ordered to do so by a duly authorized law enforcement officer in the State of Florida. There are severe penalties for individuals who are charged with and convicted of fleeing and eluding, which include prison time and license revocation, depending on the subtype of the offense.
