Keep Your Mass. Driving Record Clean

The importance of keeping your Massachusetts Driving Record clean cannot be overstated. Having a poor driving record has a litany of potential negative consequences such as denial of employment, loss of a commercial driver’s license, civil liability, insurance premium increases, license suspensions, and employment consequences.

Many employers check their employee’s Motor Vehicle Records to insure that they are safe drivers. Violations can result in the loss of a company car, a reprimand, or a negative performance evaluation. CDL Drivers face stiff consequences for violations, especially those involving drugs or alcohol. Keeping your driving record clean can avoid employment consequences. Some employers require their employees to proactively report certain traffic violations and police contacts. Others may learn about off duty driving related incidents such as DUI offenses by periodically checking motor vehicle records.

In public safety occupations such as police officer or firefighter, your driving record will almost certainly be scrutinized as during the background investigation process and the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has repeatedly upheld bypasses of candidates for employment as correctional officers, firefighters, and police officers based on driving records which show surchargeable events, citations and/or suspensions for 7 surchargeable events. The Massachusetts State Police also routinely rejects candidates due to driving records. Driving related criminal offenses such as operating under the influence will appear on your driver history and may result in your disqualification from employment.

Commercial Driver’s License Holders need to use special caution to keep their records clean and accumulating violations can result in CDL suspensions and disqualifications. For example, a single OUI conviction will result in a 1 year CDL suspension and two DUI convictions will trigger a lifetime CDL loss. Also, a breath test refusal is considered the same as a DUI for CDL license suspension purposes. This means that a DUI conviction with a prior chemical test refusal or vice versa, will result in a lifetime CDL loss.

School bus, livery, taxi, and limousine drivers should pay careful attention to avoid surchargeable accidents or receiving citations, as they could result in the loss of a job. Employers are becoming more conscious of negligent hiring and negligent entrustment cases and this has promoted them to place more weight on driving records.

If you drive an employer supplied vehicle, have a CDL, or may be a candidate for public safety employment, you should be careful to keep your driving record clean. This is especially true in Massachusetts where driving records cannot be sealed or expunged.