It is dangerous enough when a person operates a passenger car or average size vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs but to drive a commercial vehicle while under the influence is quite another. This is especially true for semi truck drivers. Think how small you feel in your car when one is next to you on the road.

When you drink or drive it affects your reflexes making it extremely dangerous since a semi truck takes much longer to come to a stop when braking making it imperative for the driver to have unaffected reflexes. It is sad and upsetting to even think about the consequences of a loaded semi “bumping” into a car much less slamming into a car.

As far as alcohol goes, a truck driver only needs to have a low BAC to be considered impaired. Considering how large a truck is, and how much more difficult it is to control than a standard car, this is perfectly acceptable. Federal law currently prohibits and truck driver from operating their truck or any other commercial truck so long as they have a BAC of 0.04%. This has helped to greatly decrease accidents in recent years.

Other impairment can include drugs such as marijuana and stimulants. Many truckers believe that they need stimulants to keep themselves awake on the road. It’s true that many truckers are pushed to the limit by being forced to keep insane deadlines and perhaps even threatened with termination from the company they work for if they don’t make it. This has resulted in many truck drivers seeking out drugs such as meth, which is apparently easy to find at any truck stop on their route. Whose fault is this? It’s hard to say whether it’s the truckers, or the company, but it’s clear that there needs to be some review of policies here.

Fortunately truck drivers for all companies are subject to random drug tests. It doesn’t matter what they happen to be doing, they could be getting ready to head out, and then suddenly have to report to their supervisor’s office to submit to a test. This is another example of implied consent, having accepted their Commercial Driver’s License they have consented to these tests and have no grounds to refuse. If they do refuse they are subject to termination from the company or at the very least some sort of fine.

This is always a situation that is serious enough that it will have to be looked further into. It is even more serious than a normal DWI, because of the number of lives potentially at stake. Every driver of a passenger car who has to drive next to a semi truck will want some sort of assurance that they are safe and that the truck driver won’t be suffering some problems, like flashback to a war he was in, just because he had took some substance to help remain awake.

If you happen to be a truck driver, then always keep in mind that safety comes first. Always ensure that you get enough sleep and don’t give in to any temptations along the way. Many lives are at stake when driving a truck and it is part of your job to make sure that others are safe from you.

It is bad enough to drive a car or any other kind of vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but it is even worse to do so and drive a commercial vehicle. Especially truck drivers should keep this in mind, because it is obvious just how large a commercial semi-truck is when compared to the average car. The nickname of “kings of the road” is quite suitable.

On top of just being a large sized vehicle, a truck also needs more time to brake and that requires a driver who has great reflexes. Since drinking alcohol or consuming drugs can impair reflexes, the driver is then considered to be impaired. If you consider what can happen if a fully loaded truck can cause in terms of damages if it just lightly bumps into a car, then you don’t want to know what can happen if it slammed at full speed into the same car! It is not a pretty sight, to put it mildly.

The current federal law makes a truck driver’s alcohol BAC level a 0.04 and if a truck driver does he is now considered to be legally impaired. When you think about the size of a commercial vehicle versus an average sized car this is acceptable and warranted and has aided in reducing accidents in recent years.

There is a common problem among truck drivers. They have such unrealistic deadlines to keep that they fell the need to use drugs such as stimulants and marijuana to keep them awake to meet deadlines or face the possibility of being fired by the company they work for. This is dangerous since they can impair the same as alcohol. Some resort to getting meth which is said to be quite easy to find at truck stops. The blame is hard to put on one and is most likely shared between truckers and demanding schedules from the company.

One helpful policy is when truckers receive a commercial drivers license a stipulation is that they must consent to random drug testing no matter what they are doing at the time. If they are summoned to the supervisor’s office they must report there. They face termination or fines from the company should they refuse or not show up as there are no grounds to refuse.

This is always a situation that is serious enough that it will have to be looked further into. It is even more serious than a normal DWI, because of the number of lives potentially at stake. Every driver of a passenger car who has to drive next to a semi truck will want some sort of assurance that they are safe and that the truck driver won’t be suffering some problems, like flashback to a war he was in, just because he had took some substance to help remain awake.

For the truck driver he needs to keep in mind that there are many innocent lives at risk should he give in to temptations or pressure from deadlines The bottom line is to get the sleep you need, it’s partly your responsibility.

DUI convictions have become very prevalent. In fact, it is not uncommon for police forces to set up temporary DUI processing stations on the weekends or on holidays. Due to their frequency through the court system, leniency has kind of gone by the wayside. The consequences for this offense have become more and more strict. Additionally, depending on the severity of your offense you may be facing steeper consequences. It is important to understand the possible penalties that you are setting yourself up for if you decide to take a chance and get behind the wheel while being under the influence of another substance.

There are certain things you better be prepared for should you ever be stopped for DUI, with the first being asked by the officer if you are under the influence. From there he will proceed to check your driving record and registration. If the officer still feels you are DUI, he will begin doing field sobriety tests on you and when through with those he still deems it necessary he will request a chemical test such as a breathalyzer or blood test.

There are several things to deal with if you are arrested for DUI and even more if you are a repeat offender. Naturally it will be more severe if you are a repeat offender and how severe the infraction was. A person’s first offense will not be dealt with as severely as a second or third offense. In general you will be on probation, pay large fines and for some there will be jail time.

For some states, you may also have to deal with licensing penalties. This basically means that your driver’s license may be restricted or even revoked. Sometimes this means that you have to deal with a short term suspension, like a 30 day time period, to a longer term suspension which can last a couple of years. Additionally, you may be granted a restricted license. This might mean that you are getting to keep your driver’s license, but that you may only use it to get to and from work. If offenses continue to add up it can even result in having your car confiscated by the authorities.

For individuals who cannot seem to learn their lessons repercussions can quickly inflate. In fact, in some states they may be labeled with “repeat offender” status. Once tagged with this the penalties for DUI will significantly increase. As the offenses continue to add up, the consequences will progressively get more severe. Eventually this may result in having your license plate confiscated, your driver’s license revoked, and even a registry for those who have continued to ignore their restrictions.

DUI’s have become increasingly more common. However, just because they are common does not mean that they should be taken lightly. They are a serious legal situation, and they come with significant penalties.