There seems to be something of a misconception among at least a portion of the adult society in Massachusetts today. Some people have the idea that they are entitled to drive, regardless of their actions or other issues. Simply put, this is not the case. The ability to drive legally on the roads of Massachusetts is based on meeting specific criteria and obeying both the rules of the road and the laws of the land. If you fall short in one way or another, you may have your driver’s license revoked. And, based on the offense and other factors, you may not get it back.
It is important to understand that you are not entitled to drive based simply on your age and nothing else. Yes, you have to reach the appropriate age to obtain your driver’s license, but simply being over that age does not guarantee you anything. Those who fail to live up to what is expected for licensed drivers will lose their license and will have to work hard to get it back.
Easy to Take for Granted
From the moment you obtain your driver’s license for the first time, you will gradually begin to take legal driving for granted. Sure, it is quite exciting at first, when you are young and have been accustomed to relying on your parents for rides around town. That excitement fades pretty quick, however, and soon you’ll just think of the ability to drive as another part of daily life. That is, until you lose that ability, and suddenly you are back to looking for rides or taking public transportation. Soon after your license is revoked, you’ll realize just how good you had it when you held a valid license.
A Key to Modern Life
Possessing a valid driver’s license is not just something that makes life a little easier, or a little more fun – although both of those things are true. The ability to drive is a key to modern life in many ways. Most people drive to work each day, as well as using their car to get to personal appointments and countless other locations. It certainly isn’t impossible to live without a license, but things will be a lot more complicated that way.
Based on Your Performance
Like so many other things in life, your ability to keep your driver’s license depends largely on your performance as a driver. If you rack up too many speeding tickets, for instance, or if you are arrested for driving under the influence, the status of your license will be in jeopardy. And, if you wind up with a revoked driver’s license, you may wind up in the position to need to apply for a hardship license in order to get back on the road (on a limited basis).
The best thing you can do in terms of maintaining your ability to drive is simply to behave yourself on the road and follow all relevant laws. If you can do so successfully, you should have nothing to worry about in terms of having your license taken away. It is when you begin to engage in activity that endangers other drivers or runs afoul of the law in some way that you could have problems.
Behave Yourself
We need to reiterate the point that your ability to drive is not something which is guaranteed to remain in place. Some drivers don’t worry too much about picking up speeding tickets, as they figure that they will just pay the fine and move on. And that can certainly be the case for just a ticket or two, but you don’t want to push the limit on this line of thinking. The better option is to drive responsibly and steer clear of any potential license issues.
If you do wind up with a revoked driver’s license, your attention will quickly turn to figuring out how to get that license back as soon as possible. That will probably mean applying for a hardship license. While it is not guaranteed that you will be approved for a hardship license, going through the process is likely your best chance to get back on the road in short order. Possessing a hardship license is not the same thing as having a full driver’s license, but it is a start.
No matter how long you have been driving legally in the state of Massachusetts, there is no guarantee on the future status of your license. That is all up to you, so you would be wise to take your responsibilities seriously out there on the road. By being smart and avoiding the mistakes that could lead to a revoked driver’s license, you should be able to remain a licensed driver for years to come.