What Laws are Meant to Help Prevent Accidents in Arkansas?

The state of Arkansas has made reckless driving a criminal misdemeanor.

Little Rock, AR – The government in each state, including Arkansas has enacted a number of different traffic laws that are designed to minimize the chances of accidents. However, despite these rules and regulations, crashes happen on a regular basis on the state’s roads. Anyone who has been injured in an accident has the right to bring a civil accident lawsuit for compensation with the assistance of a local attorney who focuses on car crash cases. 

Speeding laws

Arkansas has a basic speed limit law. This is a broad law that allows police to use their discretion to essentially stop any driver who is not driving at an appropriate speed based on the weather, road conditions, traffic, and other considerations.

The type of speeding law that is more familiar to most drivers is the absolute speed limit. This means that a driver is technically in violation of the law if they are driving at a speed above the posted limit. Speed limits tend to be lowest in school zones and urban areas, where highways and other large open roads have much higher speed limits. 

Laws against driving under the influence

All states now have some kind of laws that make it illegal for drivers to operate their vehicles with a certain blood alcohol concentration or controlled substances in their body. The legal limit for intoxication in Arkansas is a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or above. The amount of alcohol it may take for a person to reach this limit can vary greatly based on their size, metabolism, and other factors. 

Reckless driving

The state of Arkansas has made reckless driving a criminal misdemeanor. The language of the law says that a driver is driving recklessly if they drive in a manner that indicates a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. If practice, this tends to mean that the suspect understood the risks of driving in a dangerous manner, but did so anyway. 

Lawsuits against drivers who break traffic laws

A civil lawsuit for compensation can be filed when a driver in Arkansas causes a collision. Things like traffic violations can be used against the defendant as evidence of negligence, which will make it easier for the plaintiff to prevail in their lawsuit. If the plaintiff is successful, the defendant will have to pay for things like the victim’s medical treatment, lost income and wages, along with non-economic compensation for pain and suffering. 

Meeting with a lawyer for more information

USAttorneys.com is a website that lists accident lawyers around the country. Anyone who needs assistance after a crash in Little Rock or any other city can browse the listings to find a local attorney.