Across the country, as well as locally in Chicagoland area, commercial drivers are held to a higher standard for driving safety and following traffic laws. This is true not only in their roles as professional drivers but also when they are driving their personal vehicles.
Even a minor traffic violation can have serious consequences for a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) holder. The results of moving violations and traffic tickets are cumulative on all licenses, and each ticket should be considered seriously by the driver. Working with commercial driver’s license violation attorneys as soon as possible before taking any action on the ticket or citation is essential in avoiding a possible CDL disqualification.
CDL Tickets from Other States
A common cause of a CDL license suspension for a driver in the Chicago area is failing to comply with a traffic ticket that is issued by another state. Once this information is relayed through to Illinois, the CDL is suspended, which can result in a Driving While Licenses Suspended or DWLS Class A misdemeanor.
Cell Phone Use
Increasingly commercial driver’s license violation attorneys are hearing from CDL holders charged with talking on a cell phone without a headset or hands-free system. Cell phone use is a particular issue with older trucks not factory-equipped with hands-free technology. Text messaging while driving is also a serious offense.
Lane Changes
As with most states, Illinois requires that all drivers appropriately signal and check before making any lane changes. Big rigs are longer and more likely to stray or drift over into other lanes of traffic, and this is considered a serious charge.
Construction Zones
Speeding is, of course, a common citation for CDL holders, but speeding through a construction zone results in an increased fine and is seen as a serious moving offense for a CDL holder. If workers are present in the area, the fines and penalties are further increased.
For any type of ticket that includes speeding in a school zone, accidents, or driving at speeds over 15 miles per hour, talking to commercial driver’s license violation attorneys should be a priority for truckers.
When you need the legal services of experienced commercial driver’s license violation attorneys, turn to the experienced Chicago traffic ticket lawyers at Driver Defense Team.
