Reckless driving is not an offense that any driver wants to commit, but the consequences can be especially severe for drivers with a commercial drivers license (CDL). This is because a reckless driving conviction could affect your employment status, as you need your CDL to make a living. If you have been charged with a motor vehicle infraction, and you have a CDL, here is some information that you need to know.

Reckless Driving and CDL

If you have a CDL, you are required to let your employer know of any traffic violations or convictions you receive within 30 days. This is the case if you receive a DUI or a serious traffic violation. Serious traffic violations include:

• Improper lane switching.
• Following other vehicles too closely.
• Speeding.
• Reckless driving.
• Violating a traffic control law that causes a fatal accident.
• Operating a commercial motor vehicle without your CDL on you or without a CDL at all.

Penalties

If you receive a conviction for one of these violations, you could face issues with your license. For a first offense, no action will be taken against your CDL. However, if you receive a second violation within three years of the first one, your CDL will be revoked for 60 days. A third violation is even more serious. If you receive a third violation within three years of another, your CDL will be revoked for 120 days.

CDL Issues

Because most commercial vehicle drivers use their CDLs every day during their jobs, if your CDL is revoked, you might not be able to work. So, to prevent this from happening, you should contact a defense lawyer immediately.

If you have questions about your situation, an attorney can help. At our office, we can set up a free consultation in order to review your situation with you. I will try to minimize the issues that you face and get you back to work as soon as possible.