Think about the number of commercial vehicles on the streets in and around New York City. Buses, 18-wheelers, delivery vans, taxis, limos, and all other kinds of commercial vehicles roll on New York’s streets and highways 24 hours a day. Most commercial drivers in the state of New York must possess a Commercial Driver’s License, and those who hold that license are held to a higher standard when it comes to drunk driving. If you are a commercial driver and you are charged with DUI on Long Island or anywhere in or near New York City, speak at once with an experienced, Long Island-based New York DWI lawyer.

For commercial drivers, the “legal” blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is 0.04 percent rather than the usual 0.08 percent. The punishments are also more severe. A commercial driver’s first DWI (or DWAI, driving while ability-impaired) conviction in New York results in a license revocation of at least a year. If the vehicle carried hazardous materials, the license revocation period is three years. A commercial driver’s second DUI or DWAI conviction means a permanent license revocation, although a waiver can be applied for after ten years; a third conviction means a permanent, lifetime revocation with no waiver.

Another reason why all drivers–including commercial drivers–should be more careful? A number of law enforcement agencies across the country will soon begin using body-mounted cameras – “body-cams” – and some police departments are already using the miniature cameras. How might these body cameras affect DWI cases? Body cameras would offer immediate, first-hand evidence in DUI cases. If a police officer claims that a suspect’s speech was slurred or that a suspect’s eyes were bloodshot, a body camera can confirm that those charges are true or prove that they’re not. Many law enforcement agencies in the state of New York already use dash-cameras, but when officers administer field sobriety tests to DWI suspects, it’s usually out of the dash-cam’s range. Body cameras will literally show us how well or poorly defendants have performed on the field sobriety examinations. If you’re charged with DUI on Long Island or in the city, you’ll need to get legal help at once from an experienced Long Island criminal defense attorney.

Of course, if you are a commercial driver accused of DWI now or in the future, your concerns are more immediate because your job is at stake. Commercial drivers, more than anyone else in New York, must avoid drinking before or while they’re driving. Nevertheless, if you face a DWI or DWAI charge, and if there’s a way to have your charge reduced or dismissed, a good DWI lawyer will find it. If your case goes to a trial, the right defense attorney will present the strongest possible defense and bring your case to its best possible conclusion. In the Long Island or New York City area, if you’re a commercial driver charged with DWI, call an experienced, Long Island-based New York DWI lawyer immediately for the legal help you will very much need.