Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is dangerous for any driver, however driving while drunk or high is especially dangerous for commercial truck drivers. When a truck driver gets behind the wheel of a large, heavy commercial truck after using drugs or drinking alcohol, he can cause serious damage and injury to motorists on the road around him. For this reason, all holders of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) are held to a lower legal blood alcohol level of .04% and will lose their CDLs if they are caught driving over that limit or while using illegal drugs. Furthermore, trucking companies are required to test their drivers for drug or alcohol use at both designated times and also on a random basis. These tests do not always catch truck drivers who use alcohol or drugs, however, and if you are injured in an accident with a truck driver who is under the influence, you should contact a truck accident attorney in Woolsey as soon as possible to help you hold the driver responsible.
All trucking companies are required to drug test potential drivers before hiring them by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Though some drivers may be exempt from this mandatory drug test if they meet very specific circumstances, most must undergo and pass the test as drug-free before they can begin driving a truck. After hiring, truck companies are required to randomly test 50% of its drivers for drugs and 10% for alcohol. Furthermore, drivers must be tested after a collision or if the company has any other reason to suspect the driver is driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Driving under the influence is against the law, and a truck driver will lose his CDL if he is caught. Furthermore, if a truck driver causes an accident while under the influence, a trucking lawyer will help make him pay for your injuries. Call Shane Smith Law at (980) 246-2656 for help today.