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For commercial drivers, traffic offenses are serious affairs

On Behalf of | Sep 21, 2018 | Traffic Offenses |

Even for someone who does not drive for a living, a traffic ticket can spell hundreds of dollars in additional insurance premiums and can also have other consequences.

However, for commercial drivers, even one traffic ticket can be a career-killer. In many cases, even if they commit a violation in their own vehicles and on their own time, a trucker’s record of violations spells higher insurance premiums for his or her employer, and that, in turn, might not be a price an employer is willing to pay to keep the trucker on staff.

Moreover, even if they would not result in criminal charges or license suspensions, certain traffic offenses can mean that a commercial driver will lose his or her privilege of driving commercial vehicles for at least two months.

Specifically, if one is caught driving more than 15 miles per hour over a posted speed limit and is in a commercial vehicle on two occasions within 3 years, then he or she will not be allowed to operate commercial vehicles for 60 days, about two months. An additional offense would result in 120-day disqualification.

Other relatively common traffic offenses, like following too closely, changing lanes improperly or even violating a statewide texting and driving ban are treated in a similar fashion.

To summarize, a commercial driver should for a lot of reasons take any traffic citation they receive seriously, as they can have a long-term impact on their ability to earn a livelihood. In this respect, they should consider securing the help of an experienced traffic law attorney who can advise them of their options and advocate for their interests.