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Losing your driver’s license can be a major inconvenience, but one police officer shared the easiest way to make it happen with me— and it’s surprisingly simple. The good news is that you can easily avoid the practice and keep your driving privileges.
A Central Texas cop shared the ‘easiest way to lose your driver’s license’ with me on a ride along
Out of curiosity, I went on a ride-along with a municipal police officer in Central Texas. The officer shared a few things with me, chief among which was the “fastest way to lose your driver’s license.” Unsurprisingly, it’s the crime of driving under the influence (DUI).
The police officer, Paul, said that he frequently pulls motorists over for driving under the influence. Interestingly enough, our ride-along covered an evening shift. Needless to say, late night and early morning are when most drunk drivers are on the road. Consequently, Paul pulled over a motorist under the suspicion of a DUI.
Paul told me that he looked for behavior beyond the expected swerving and sluggishness of an inebriated motorist. Specifically, he pulled over drivers who, in their intoxication, neglected to turn on their headlights and taillights in the dark. And, no sooner than Paul’s mention of the lights, he noticed the darkened vehicle and pulled it over.
In this case, the driver was simply forgetful, not drunk. However, had he been drunk, Paul would have arrested him. As a result, the Texas motorist would have lost his driver’s license and spent time in a county jail. Paul’s message was clear: drive drunk, lose your license.
From a legal standpoint, a DUI conviction will almost certainly result in you losing your license. In nearly every US state, a drunk driving conviction results in a temporary suspension of driving privileges. Depending on factors like blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and driving record, your suspension could be anywhere from 30 days to a year or longer, per FindLaw.
On the other hand, driving at unsafe speeds or driving recklessly won’t always result in a suspension or revocation. Instead, driving recklessly could land you a hefty fine or a ticket to traffic school. However, you may not lose your license for dangerous driving behaviors.