DUI New Jersey and Commercial Vehicle Drivers Penalties

by Kristen White Blogger Driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated or impaired is an offence committed when a driver operates a vehicle after consuming alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants. With the increase of alcohol levels in the driver’s blood this leads to a decrease in mental and motor reactions, in turn this results in a decrease in the driver’s ability to control the vehicle and an increase in the risk of the driver committing errors of judgement as well as an increase in the risks of causing accidents, injury and death. This article will discuss information in respect of regulations for DUI in New Jersey, and actions taken against commercial vehicle drivers.



According to a report provided by the DMV, New Jersey, like the rest of the U. S., has drunk driving as the largest cause of motor vehicle related fatalities and accounts for as much as 40 to 50% of the total number of motor vehicle related deaths every year. In New Jersey, the blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is set at 0.08% for drivers over 21 years of age, for those under-21 it is set at 0.01% and for commercial drivers the limit is set at 0.04%. Where a driver is convicted of a DUI, points will be added to the driver’s driving record and the driver’s license will be suspended or revoked. It must be noted that the number of points assessed depends on the severity of the offense and the number of times the driver has been convicted for it.

Actions Taken Against DUI for Commercial Vehicle Drivers

For drivers driving a commercial vehicle and holding a commercial driver’s license, the following actions will be taken if convicted of a DUI:

Points will be added to the driver’s driving record and the driver will be barred from driving a commercial vehicle for one year, if the driver is convicted for having a BAC higher than 0.04%. The driver will be issued an out-of-service order valid for 24 hours by the arresting officer

The driver will be barred from driving a commercial vehicle for at least three years, if convicted for driving with a BAC higher than 0.04% while transporting hazardous materials

A driver will be barred from driving a commercial vehicle for life if the driver is convicted for any of the above offenses for a second time

Besides the above mentioned actions, a commercial driver will be subject to penalties relating to drivers above 21 years of age; these penalties apply to commercial drivers for their first and second offenses of DUI; as the driver will be barred after the second offense

If a commercial vehicle driver refuses to submit to a chemical test, the driver will be barred from driving a commercial vehicle for one year for the first offense and for lifetime for the second offence

If you are convicted of a DUI, it will result in a license suspension or revocation, meaning that your driving privileges will be taken away. Because of the serious penalties associated with a DUI it is necessary to hire a lawyer with knowledge of NJ DUI laws.

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Created on Oct 12th 2017 03:16. Viewed 341 times.

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