Hey guys,

I am relocating to Charlottesville, VA and was told local law enforcement in Virginia are ticket happy and will issue citations even for breaking the speed limit by 5+ MPH. I was also told if you exceed 20 MPH over any limit that they will issue you for wreckless driving and expensive to resolve and possible jail time. I have been there several times and remember people driving relatively slow in comparison to California, but can this be true?

I just recently acquired a Nissan GTR and enjoy doing the occasional roll-on with friends in Mexico and spirited driving around suburbia. The thought of having to drive 55MPH all the time in fear of getting serious tickets and incarceration is a real bummer. If its truly this bad, I would prefer to drive a Prius to 100% of its potential versus 20% of the GTR.

What's it like to own and drive fast cars on the streets of Virginia?

Thanks

 

I'm pretty sure everything is illegal in Virginia when it comes to motoring lol

 

You will be fine..... Don't worry.... Good news is we all carry guns too...

 

I don't think they'll issue a ticket if you go 5 over, but everything else you heard has some truth to it. 20mph over is reckless in VA and will cost 300-700 in lawyers fees to get dropped down to regular speeding.

 

I also found out that radar detectors are illegal in Virginia as well. What is up with the state of Virginia?

 

Welcome to the south, tractors aren't capable of gtr and Porsche speeds

 

in short... yes

 

va is a **** commonwealth when it comes to traffic...mexico runs will land u in jail...beware. I do not speed in va period!

 

sounds like you maybe should not relocate..

thats the nice thing about CA if your going under 80 on the freeway..you better move over.

 

As Sunir just said, VA is a bad state in which to do "Mexico runs." Five over is fine. Even ten over is okay, for the most part, as plenty of people will be blowing by you at that speed. Keep in mind, however, that everything greatly depends on the county/city/town in which you choose to speed. Ten over will get you a ticket in certain little towns, as will five over. For the most part, you want to stay under 90 mph in Virginia. Everything below 90 mph pales in comparison to being caught at high-speed. Sure, you can get reckless driving for anything 20 over the speed limit (and you often do), but things change drastically as the speeds reach and exceed 100 mph.

About five and a half years ago, a state trooper radar'd me at 106 mph, on a completely deserted section of route 81 down in the fine town of Woodstock, Virginia. I could have outrun the Man with ease (until the chopper was called), but my instincts forced me to immediately brake and pull off onto the shoulder. The trooper was quite perturbed, but very nice; he sat me in the front passenger seat of his car while he ran my record on his computer. Then he asked me, straight up, what I would do to me if our roles were reversed. I told him that I'd be pretty pissed off, but I'd let me go on my way (to my grandparent's house in NC). To my surprise, he actually let me continue on to my destination and didn't impound my car and take me directly to jail, which is what will happen nine times out of ten if you're caught going above 90 in any part of VA.

It turned out that the judge would not be so lenient. I was prepared for the worst, as my boss was pulled over five years before in the same area going 100+. He was given one day in jail, a $1000 fine, 6 pts on his record (reckless), and his license was suspended for 6 mos. I figured that I would receive a very similar punishment. As court commenced, the judge got straight to the point and said: "I'll start off by telling you all that anyone who was going above 90 mph will be going straight to jail." Well, okay then. Once the judge got to my case, he proceeded to sentence me. First, he said that I'd have to pay $990 in fines and court costs. Then, he said my license would be suspended for 6 mos. Finally, he stated that I will be serving thirty days in jail (WTF??), with 26 suspended (WHEW!!!). That worked out to four days, in my head, which was still way too long. The judge then added that I'd only be serving two of my four days; evidently you get a day of good behavior for each day served on petty offenses such as this.

My nickname in jail was "speedy" .... and "vato."

Ahhh, I digress. So, yeah... don't do "Mexico runs" in VA.

 

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I guess I will trade the GTR in for a Versa when I arrive in VA.

 

Like everyone has mentioned VA is very strict. I learned my lesson back in 05 when I received a 6 month restricted license for going significantly over the speed limit in Fairfax!

No laughing matter, I never speed in VA and try and stick to within 10 in MD.

 

It seriously blows (got pulled for tint and no front plate recently, $135). But I'm not going to let VA's ridiculous motor laws get in the way of my passion for cars. Depending on the cop that pulls you over, you may get off with a minor infraction. I was pulled over for exhaust noise and wreckless driving (kept changing out of left turn lanes because the lights kept turning red), and got off with just the exhaust ticket. Another time I was pulled over for just exhaust and got off with nothing (nice cop that time).

I'd keep the GTR.

 

you may like to consider Nissan Leaf...Versa may be too fast for VA.

Seriously there is NO WORSE place in all the States if you love to drive fast...VA will impound your car, they will lock you up, and they will make your life miserable with your infraction.

I went to VATech for undergrad, I lived in McLean up in Tysons for few years after graduation...trust me been there and seen it for myself...

VA is no joke..don't speed there, use your signals, no screwing around, stop at ALL stop signs, no radar detector, wear ur seatbelt, don't mod your car etc...commonwealth law enforcement drive around with a big nightstick and jar of lube, err maybe just the nightstick...and worst of all they are LOOKING actively for any way to pull you over if you're a car guy...beware!!!!

 

Nothing I've read here seems like an exageration. It is bad. And it is both the ferocity with which they pull people for all kinds of things AND the statutory penalties attached.

I'm surprised they dont just bring the paddy-wagon to Katie's one Sat morning and just haul everyone away. It is kind of funny you go to like the Ferrari / Lamborghini dealership and look around and you're just like "they shouldnt even be allowed to sell this stuff here" lol

I personally think it is over the top BUT if that is the legislative intent, which it clearly is, they must be doing something right b/c they have all of us scared like little b-tches... or b-itches with enough sense to not want to get locked up, car impounded, life ruined etc. for stepping on the gas.

Juxtapose - one time when I lived out in CA I female CHiP pulled me over on my Ducati for going oh abt. a very tame 100 or so and first thing she said to me was "thanks for pulling over". After she was cool and gave me warning I told her it seemed funny when she greeted me that way and she said "oh yeah, most people on bikes dont even stop and if they're going over 90 we're not allowed to chase them".