Positive driving record?
December 23, 2011 5:56 PM   Subscribe

What does "maintaining a positive driving record" mean in Washington state?

I'm asking because it may affect my future employment. I checked my driving record via the DOL website. I have a speeding ticket from September 2007 for going 65 in a 60 mph zone (my understanding is that this will fall off in September 2012), a violation for driving without tabs in 2009, and another violation for driving without tabs in February 2011. That's all that's on the record, other than the "clear" status of my license.

I can't find any standard definition for a "positive driving record" on the DOL website. Is there an official definition for this term, or is this more up to the employer's discretion?
posted by wansac to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)
 
What's the nature of the employment in question? Your prospective employer may be referring to things such as drunk driving convictions, or other criminal acts.

Getting a speeding ticket likely is not what your employer is concerned about.

Maybe ask your employer what is meant by "positive driving record"?
posted by dfriedman at 6:25 PM on December 23, 2011


Response by poster: It's employment in the EMS field, possibly by a government agency. I've already passed a background check to get my current ER job, but I don't think they looked at my driving record. I don't have any convictions of anything other than those three items that I listed in my original post, criminal or otherwise.
posted by wansac at 6:43 PM on December 23, 2011


"Positive driving record" isn't a legal term of which I'm aware, but even if it is, the term is being used by your employer, who is more than likely free to assign whatever meaning they wish to it.

Ask them.
posted by valkyryn at 6:58 PM on December 23, 2011


I googled and items that would be of concern are those items in your record that would make it more expensive to insure you if you are driving on the job.
The speeding was such a low level (5 mph over) ticket that I doubt that will do anything.
That is the only thing on your list that would impact auto insurance cost, AFAIK.
posted by Librarygeek at 7:52 PM on December 23, 2011


Hard to say. My brief exposure to folks looking at records has either an insurance component or a habitual component.

Insurance will be what their insurance company tells them is allowable or not; it may be that they allow a low but arbitrary number of moving violations, or they may simply not allow them at all.

Habitual will be them looking to see if you have had an accident where you were at fault, or a history of frequent tickets or negligent or reckless driving. They're probably doing a mix of both, obviously their insurance is going to dictate whether you can be hired as an absolute, and then a review of your record will give them an idea of your driving habits.

Valkyryn is right, just ask. The tab tickets shouldn't be a big deal, but you never know.
posted by maxwelton at 7:56 PM on December 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


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