by Attorney Eric D. PuryearIn Iowa, the crime of reckless driving is defined by Iowa Code section 321.277 as the crime a person commits if he or she drives any vehicle in such manner as to indicate either a willful or a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.
A person convicted of reckless driving in Iowa faces up to 30 days in the county jail, as reckless driving is a Simple Misdemeanor charge under Iowa law.
That definition of reckless driving is rather brief, and so reckless driving cases tend to turn on whether the prosecution can persuade the Iowa magistrate that there was in fact the disregard for safety, or whether the defense can show that there was no such disregard.
A conviction for reckless driving in Iowa can also carry with it a driver’s license suspension, revocation, or barment, along with a substantial increase in insurance rates. For those reasons, a person accused of reckless driving in Iowa is wise to take the matter seriously and retain an attorney to defend them, as it is not a mere traffic charge.