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DUI Limit for a CDL

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jmahoney

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? PA

I recently received my commercial driver's license and I understand that the blood alcohol limt for the holder of a CDL while operating a commercial vehicle is .04. What I still haven't received a definitive answer on is does the .04 limit also apply to the CDL holder when operating a non-commercial vehicle such as my own car?

Thanks
Jim Mahoney
 


CdwJava

Senior Member
Contact the PA Bureau of Driver Licensing at: 1-800-932-4600.

A read of the Commercial Driver's Handbook finds that it mentions .02 and .04 BAC for driving commercial vehicles, but makes no mention of the penalty for non-commercial vehicles. However, I would be relatively certain that a conviction for ANY DUI will effect your CDL.

But, call them and find out for sure.

Oh ... and you are already impaired as low as .02. Keep that in mind.

- Carl
 

jmahoney

Junior Member
While I don't want to dismiss the concerns of the impairment-begins-with-the-first-drink crowd, I had a practical reason for asking. I realize the destructive capabibilites of a large commercial vehicle and the only way to drive one is completely sober - end of discussion. The responsibilities are muct the same as being a pilot. I have been driving for 34 years with no accidents, moving viloations or DUIs - so I think of myself as a pretty responsible driver.

The fact remains that having a second beer in a little over an hour would put me over the .04 level. If I were stopped driving my personal car with a regular license they would send me on my way. Am I afforded any less consideration driving a regular car if the officer sees the CDL on my drivers license and all other facts are the same? That doesn't sound like equal protection under the law to me.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
jmahoney said:
The fact remains that having a second beer in a little over an hour would put me over the .04 level. If I were stopped driving my personal car with a regular license they would send me on my way. Am I afforded any less consideration driving a regular car if the officer sees the CDL on my drivers license and all other facts are the same? That doesn't sound like equal protection under the law to me.
That's because driving is a privelege. You do not HAVE to get a commercial driver's license. If you do, you agree to those conditions. As I said, it does no appear that the .02 and .04 limits apply to non-commercial vehicles. But, a call to the PA License Bureau should answer the question.

While I appreciate that you understand the destructive capability of a commercial vehicle and say that the only way to drive one is completely sober, do you also comprehend the destructive power of the average passenger vehicle? The only proper way to drive one of them is sober as well.

And two beers in more than hour is not likely to put you over .04. Two beers over a one hour period would likely result in about a .03 at the end of the hour for the average male.

- Carl
 
Last edited:
JMA

Law Enforcement can write you up for a DUI without you violating the legal limit. If you get stopped and there's ANY alchohol, there will be an automatic assumption that whatever suspected infraction they pulled you over for will be because of potential impairment. Bingo, they have what they need to write you up for a DUI. You don't have to blow over a
.08

If you're under a .08, officers these days are not necessarily going to "send you on your way". For all they know, you're BAC could be on the rise. And an Officer does not want to come in to work the next day finding out that someone he let go lat night got in a wreck a couple of hours later and injured someone.
 

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