A speeding ticket as a commercial driver is different from the average ticket. Drivers with commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) have more to lose. A mark against a commercial driver on his or her record could ultimately lead to the loss of a career in commercial driving. A commercial driver will have more to worry about than just the dollar amount of a CDL speeding ticket. A ticket could have life-changing consequences. The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicles Division (MVD) can revoke a CDL if a driver commits certain prohibited acts. Speak to a lawyer if you are a commercial driver facing a speeding ticket in Arizona.
CDL Speeding Ticket Costs
A speeding ticket for a CDL holder is more serious than a speeding ticket for a regular driver. It could be charged as a Class 1 misdemeanor in Arizona – the equivalent of a major crime such as driving under the influence. Commercial drivers convicted of traffic infractions in Arizona, including speeding, could face fines of up to $2,500. Additional penalties include up to six months in jail and points against the commercial driver’s license.
More serious infractions and crimes can lead to more severe penalties for a CDL driver. The MVD in Arizona will revoke a commercial driver’s license for one year upon a conviction for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, chemical test refusal, using a motor vehicle to commit a felony crime, driving a commercial vehicle on a revoked license, leaving the scene of an accident, or causing a death due to a traffic violation. If the incident occurred in a hazmat vehicle, the MVD will revoke the driver’s CDL for three years. A second or subsequent conviction of any of these crimes will result in the lifetime revocation of the CDL.
Cost of Having Points on Your Commercial Driver’s License
Like many states, Arizona has implemented a driver’s license point system to encourage safe driving behaviors. Convictions for certain moving violations will lead to points added to the driver’s official record. A certain number of points in a short period of time can lead to penalties such as driver’s license suspension. Driving under the influence, for example, is equal to eight points against the driver’s license. Hit-and-run is six points. Speeding is three points. Most lesser moving violations are two points.
Points remain on a driver’s record for 12 months in Arizona. Accumulating 8 or more points in 12 months will lead to a one-year license suspension or mandatory Traffic Survival School. Traffic Survival School is not an option for commercial drivers, however. As a commercial driver, your employer has the right to take action against you after the conviction of any moving violation – regardless of how many points it adds to your driver’s license. Your employer could put you on probation or even terminate your employment if you receive a speeding conviction.
Speeding Tickets and CSA Scores
The government agency in charge of interstate commerce and commercial trucking safety, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, created the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program to assess a commercial driver’s fitness for the job. A commercial driver’s CSA score can have a significant impact on his or her career. Convictions for crimes and traffic infractions could negatively impact a driver’s CSA score. A speeding ticket on your record, for example, could hurt your CSA score.
You can check your score as a commercial driver through the Safety Measurement System website. Commercial drivers are ineligible for traffic school in lieu of facing penalties for speeding in Arizona. In most cases, the only way to handle a CDL speeding ticket is by paying the fine or hiring a lawyer to fight the ticket at trial. Speak to an Arizona CDL lawyer today for assistance with fighting your speeding ticket.
