Question... Careless and Reckless?...

[Kahboom]

I was at an intersection the other night and I felt the urge for some spirited driving (I have a new car).

I punched it off the line and I din't notice it at the time but the tires chirped (I had my music up and my car has traction controle thus, I wasn't expecting that to occur). The speed limit was 55, I got up to @ 56 or 57 and broke it off. I am cruising for about 2 miles and an officer comes up quickly and follows me for @ 1/4 mile then puls me over...

He asks for my liscense/registration and he asks:
Are you in a hurry
I reply: no sir I uh uh... loss for words because I'm wondering why he pulled me. The only thing I can think of was when I launched quickly at the intersection.

Then he asks: You screeched the tires back there was there a reason why you did that?

I continue my reply: I just took off to feel the power and I guess I got going too fast? Oh but I don't think I exceeded the speed limit or did I?

He responded oh I had to do over 80 to catch you...
At this point I'm thinkg <<Was I speeding?>>

He goes to his cruiser then returns and just gives me a verbal warning. He explained that he could have given me a ticket for careless/reckless and to slow down.

So I'm confused:
Did he pull me for taking off fast or for chirping the tires or because he thought I was speeding or all 3 reasons?

Did taking off fast or chirping the tires constitute careless/reckless.
I want to know so as not to repeat. And I don't like to exced thespeed limit but I like to feel the power of my car off the line.

[constable]

IMO I feel you have to be held responsible for your actions in the way you drive? You should feel lucky that the officer let you off with a warning as he would have beeen in the right to give you a ticket for careless/reckless. I think you should already know your car, by knowing what kind of motor and torque your car has, there was no need to test it. So this is not something you should repeat because maybe next time you wont get just a warning.

[Lfpdlieu302]

the tires squealing was the carless part. here, in order to get reckless, we have to show a wanton disregard for the safety of others.

[Norm357]

Squealing tires is a moving violation here I think.

[mcsap]

If you go out and play, you might have to pay.

[Kahboom]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that he didnt have the right to pull me. As a person in position of authority, I completely understand that the officer has the responsibility to perform his job, and I do feel fortunate that I didn't get a ticket, in this state I think that your license can be revoked for C&R. It's just that I din't understand what action actually broke the law. As regards testing the car to see what kind of power it has, having a car with power has little practical value other than the fun factor, I just want to make sure that if I'm having fun that I'm doing it legally.

[Scruit]

Careless is more like you did something dangerous by accident. Reckless is you did something dangerous on purpose.

You just gave him PC, and he didn't find any dirt on you so he cut you loose.

[jaunt10]

i used to have a truck back in college and it was one of those small S-10s. Therefore it was top heavy, engine in front barely anything in back. since i was in a city with hills a lot of times when i stopped in an uphill area when i took off to get into traffic my tires would squeal or not grip the road right. i got pulled over for that once and i told the cop i was top heavy, not speeding and its common especially when i'm trying to get into 55 mile per hour traffic and not get hit. needless to say i got a warning and in reality i cannot think of a time at that intersection that my tires did not squeal like that.

[Darin]

**notacop**

In Virginia they have something called exhibition of speed and you possibly could have been written up for that. And I believe squeeling tires can get you a failure to maintain proper control cite.

My man vadep will advise if I'm correct.