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Don’t Let Traffic Violations Affect Your CDL In Illinois
If you have a job that requires you to have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), you know how important it is that you maintain that license, otherwise you may quickly find yourself out of a job and an income source. CDL drivers are oftentimes tasked with carrying important and even dangerous freight, so Illinois doesn’t look lightly on traffic violations from those tasked with shipping those goods. You can have your CDL suspended for as few as one or two traffic violations, so it’s important to know what to do if you ever find yourself fighting a traffic charge that threatens your commercial driver’s license.
CDL Suspension In Illinois
Under Illinois law, you can have your CDL suspended if you commit two serious traffic offenses. Serious traffic offenses include by are not limited to instances of:
- Excessive speeding
- Reckless driving
- Overriding a lane control device
- Illegal passing
- Failing to safely negotiate an accident or disabled/emergency vehicles
- Following too closely
- Improperly passing a school bus with its flashers on
Per the law, if you accrue two of the above citations in a three-year period, you will be subject to a 60-day suspension of your commercial driver’s license. If you accrue three serious traffic violations in a three-year period, you may have your CDL suspended for up to 120 days. However, it’s worth noting that these citations must be the result of separate traffic incidents and the offense that leads to your CDL suspension must occur in a commercial motor vehicle in order for the state to come after your license.
CDL Cancellation In Illinois
A suspension of your commercial driver’s license is not the only thing you have to worry about if you violate traffic laws in Illinois. Certain offenses can trigger the cancellation of your CDL, and that will almost assuredly affect your ability to maintain your job. Commercial driver license cancellation can occur if you’re found guilty of:
- Operating a commercial motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration over 0.04%
- Operating any motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08%
- Operating a commercial motor vehicle under the influence of drugs
- Fleeing the scene of an accident
- Driving a commercial vehicle with a suspended CDL
- Negligent driving in a commercial vehicle
- Using a vehicle in the commission of a felony offense
If you have been charged with an offense that could result in the suspension or cancellation of your commercial driver’s license, it’s imperative that you contest the charges with a CDL traffic lawyer by your side. We at Appelman Law have helped many drivers keep their CDLs, and we’ve even achieved this when the evidence is stacked against the driver. Aside from putting forth a strong defense, we can also work with the prosecution to see if a plea deal will allow you to retain your CDL driving privileges. Accepting a reduced charge may not be the perfect scenario, but if the odds are stacked against you and your CDL is on the line, oftentimes it’s a route we recommend. We can help ensure you make the best decision based on all the factors of your case.
So if you or someone you know is facing the possibility of losing their commercial driver’s license, give our firm a call at (630) 717-7801 to see what we can do for you. We offer a free case review so you can better understand your options and how to best proceed. To set up that consultation, pick up the phone and give us a call today. You have too much to lose to plead guilty and hope for the best, so let us go to bat for you.
