Drinking and driving

[roadrunner5877]

Good day everyone,
I drive a commercial vehicle for work and the limit for getting a DUI or DWI is .04 . why cant they hold the same stanards for cars too ? I feel if you are too drunk at .04 to drive a commercial vehicle then you should not be driving anything also in my state if you have have any trace you will be put out of service if you are driving a commercial vehicle. Do any of you think they need to hold the same stanards for everyone on the road?
thank you and stay safe
Bob

[counihan]

We are not of the Legislative Branch of Government, therefore we do not create the laws and standards. We just enforce them. ;)

[Citicop]

Come to think of it, why don't we get rid of CDL's? Since there is no difference between driving an 18 wheeler and my Honda Civic, why can't I drive one with my regular Driver's License?

Also, there is no legal limit to how long I can drive... let's get rid of that, too! Not to mention all those other pesky Commercial Vehicle Laws.

Your position makes so much sense to me, it's unreal.

Citicop.

[mcsap]

Actually you cant drive your commercial vehicle with ANY detectable amount of alcohol in your system. It's just that you dont get to a DUI until you hit a .04%. This any detectable amount violation will result in a $100 fine and you wil be placed out-of-service for 10 hours.

And FYI , the same penalty applies if a CMV driver has ANY containers of an alcoholic beverage in their truck ( not the trailer) , whether opened or sealed doesn't matter.

If I stop you and have ANY reason to believe you have been imbibing , I can take you in for a legal blood test ( penalty for refusal is a one year disqualification ) to check you out.

It all has to do with the fact that you are driving a CMV and most CMV's make a big bang and or a big mess when they crash. Bigger than a car.

[roadrunner5877]

I know and understand the CV laws and they are good but I wish the laws were not so liberal when it comes to drunk driving. Do any of you think if they change the law to make first time drunk driving a felony like in Canada it will make our roads more safe. I have been driving a CV for 22 yrs and never had a preventable crash or a ticket

[Citicop]

I know and understand the CV laws and they are good but I wish the laws were not so liberal when it comes to drunk driving. Do any of you think if they change the law to make first time drunk driving a felony like in Canada it will make our roads more safe. I have been driving a CV for 22 yrs and never had a preventable crash or a ticket

I apologize for my earlier sarcastic tone.

I was under the impression that you were arguing that the CMV laws for DWI were too strict. Instead, it seems that you think that the standard DWI laws are too lax, which is a much more palatable position for me.

Citicop.

[DeltaV]

It must be different in Florida, but DUI is the same no matter what you're driving. There's a separate statute that covers driving a CMV with a BAC over .04, but it's technically not the same as DUI.

[mcsap]

In PA , the refusal penalties are different for a CMV vs a car.

Refusing while in operation of the CMV is a one year disqualification , in other words, the CDL gets " suspended " but the regular license is OK.

Refusing while operating a car is a one year suspension , period.

So , CDL holders get a NICE break that car drivers dont get.