What to Know About Driving in Virginia
Driving in Virginia may not be all that different from driving in other states, but there are a few details that set it apart. One of these is that Virginia is an ‘at fault’ state, and this means that the person who caused a car accident is responsible for paying all the damages. This might be strange to someone from a state that doesn’t apply the same law, and it’s just one of the things that you should know before you fasten your seat belt and set off to go anywhere in Virginia. Here are a few other things that you should keep in mind if you want to use the road safely and stay on the right side of the law while driving in this state.
The Driving Age
In Virginia, a driver should have attained the legal driving age of the state, which is 16 years. To rent a car, a driver should have a minimum of 21 years of age. These are the basic requirements as far as driving and car rental in Virginia go, but there will be various details for the car rental rule depending on the requirements of individual car rental companies. One of these is asking people under 25 years of age to pay additional fees or meet extra requirements in order to be eligible.
The Penalties for Speed Violations
Speed violations, much like in other states across the nation, typically have a number of penalties associated with them. Note that speed tickets may be punished with demerit points and fines, with the number of points that you get based on the speed at which you were driving. For instance, driving between one and nine miles per hour gets three points. If you were driving between 10 and 19mph over the speed limit, you get four points, while you’ll get six points if you were driving at 20mph over the speed limit.
Keep in mind that it’s best to follow the set rules of the road as they’re there for your own safety, as well as that of other road users. This is in addition to the usage of the best road construction techniques. On this note, keep in mind that directional drilling techniques have been used for nearly 100 years. Technological improvements over the past few decades have seen angles, turns, and distances covered underground become amazing engineering feats.
The Driving Conditions
Keep in mind that Virginia has a sub-tropical climate, which means that summers are warm while winters are moderately cold. That said, you might encounter hurricanes and tropical storms around Fairfax County some seasons of the year. This makes it a good idea to check the weather before you set off so that you know the precautions to take.
In addition to this, it’s a good idea to keep your vehicle in good shape at all times as this is going to ensure that it’s efficient to drive. On this note, the truck repair industry is projected to grow 3% through 2022 and 2023, according to Dieselmatic. This shows that a good number of truck owners understand the importance of taking proper care of their trucks, and that’s something that should be the case for every driver.
These are a few of the details that you need to keep in mind while driving in Virginia. By doing so, you can stay safer on the roads and avoid several issues that could dampen your experience. While keeping these details about driving in Virginia in mind, don’t forget about the general road safety rules. Things such as avoiding distractions, staying sober while driving, and ensuring that you have good visibility still apply. When you keep these details in mind, you have a great chance of being safe while out and about on the roads in Virginia.