Although drunk driving offenses sometimes result from crashes that leave people hurt and property damaged, many adults accused of impaired driving after being pulled over by a police officer.
Although they may have not caused property damage or hurt anyone, these drivers demonstrated impairment according to the officer or they failed a chemical breath or blood test and they now face criminal charges. Many people decide to plead guilty to drunk driving allegations in Pennsylvania rather than exploring other alternatives, including fighting back against them.
Unfortunately, if you plead guilty to drunk driving charges, that could hurt your future career prospects.
You could lose your professional licensing
If you drive for a living, a drunk driving arrest will cause serious problems. Your commercial driver’s license could be disqualified for a minimum of one year and up to a lifetime, even if the alleged incident occurred in your personal vehicle and not while you were working.
Those who do not drive a big truck or a bus but they drive their own vehicle as part of their job could lose that job when they tell their employer they can no longer drive because of a license suspension.
Even if you do not drive for your job, you may hold a professional license that could be affected by an arrest or conviction of DUI. Professionals ranging from real estate appraisers and vehicle salespeople to dentists and funeral directors need to have a license to practice their professions in Pennsylvania. After an arrest for a DUI. the licensing board for your profession could take disciplinary action against you.
You will struggle to secure new opportunities
Applying for a new job can often be a way to leverage your current job for a higher salary or a better title. However, any company that considers hiring you will likely perform a background check. Even your current employer may do a background check when they hire you in from a temporary position or promote you to a better role at the company.
Although some employers may look past a drunk driving record, for others, it will be the difference between getting the job and not.
There are other ways that impaired driving charges could affect your job. Without your own transportation during your license suspension, you could be late for work, causing your employer to see you as unreliable. And, a drunk driving conviction could also affect your ability to socialization with your colleagues and limit your upward trajectory where you work.
Understanding how impaired driving charges could affect your career might motivate you to fight back against them.
