When you hear anyone talk about drunk driving or DUIs, usually you think about everyday citizens who have a little too much to drink and then make the unfortunate decision to get behind the wheel of a car. What you rarely think about is a person performing his or her job, such as truck driving, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Commercial drivers have this unique threat hanging over their heads. They perform critical services but they can have their job and livelihood threatened if they are caught driving under the influence. Furthermore, these commercial drivers are held to a more stringent standard for “intoxication” in the eyes of the law.
For most people, the maximum blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08. Violating this rule opens the individual up for a DUI charge. But for people who are on the job as commercial drivers, the maximum BAC that they can register is 0.04.
Getting a DUI while operating a commercial vehicle can be a career death sentence for the driver. Usually there is an automatic suspension associated with the person’s job status with their company. More often than not, a DUI results in the driver losing his or her job. Then, of course, there are the legal penalties associated with the DUI itself.
This is why any commercial driver needs an attorney to stand up for them in the wake of a DUI. Commercial drivers aren’t just limited to truck drivers either. The term “commercial driver” applies to a wide range of drivers, including taxi drivers, food delivery trucks, bus drivers, private motor companies, and even drivers on the behalf of churches. All of these people need legal representation in the wake of a commercial DUI.
Source: FindLaw, “Commercial DUI Regulations,” Accessed April 10, 2015
