Reckless operation of a vehicle is listed under section 4511.20 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and termed "Willful or wanton operation." The definition given is the disregard of the safety of persons or property. Whoever violates this section of the ORC is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

Also falling under reckless operation is driving without being in reasonable control of the vehicle. This too is a minor misdemeanor. Either type of reckless operation has a points assessment of 4 points on an Ohio driver's license.

Whether driving at a rate of 52 mph in a 35 mph zone in Ohio is counted as reckless driving is likely depending upon what the law enforcement officer determined. If they declared the person to be driving without reasonable control then they likely can term it as reckless and write a ticket for that offense. Your friend will need to look at her ticket to determine if she received a ticket for reckless operation or speeding.

If the citation is only for speeding 17 mph over the speed limit than according to the Ohio Points list this would be a 2 point offense on her license. This is because if the speed limit is less than 55 mph, exceeding the limit by more than 5 mph (6–29 mph over the limit) results in two points.

Wellsville, Ohio is in Columbiana County, Ohio whose clerk of the court and municipal court website is ccclerk.org. This site lists that speeding tickets can be paid through the mail while if a ticket is for reckless operation a court appearance is required. If your friend's ticket is for the latter and she cannot make the court appearance she should contact the court to find what she can do or if she will need to hire a lawyer that can appear in her place.

Articles in our Learning Center such as What a Traffic Ticket Can Truly Cost You may also be of help.