When
one gets pulled over and subsequently arrested for an alleged DUI, what are
some of the first things that run through their head? “Oh no, I’m in trouble,” “I
am going to jail,” “I need a lawyer” are probably a few. However, after the
initial shock wears off, that person eventually gets to realizing the potential
fines and legal fees that go along a DUI conviction. Those fines and fees are
typically a one-time expense. But there is one cost that often gets over looked
and is one that affects your life for 10 years after the DUI; car insurance.
In
January of 2007, new legislation required that DUI offenses be a part of your
public driving record and remain on that record for 10 years from the violation
date. The legislation was changed in order to allow car insurance companies
access to driving records so that they could apply the new provisions that were
added in 2005 in the Insurance Code under Senate Bill 597, primarily dealing
with “good driver” discounts. Under the law, good driver discounts would not
apply to drivers with DUI offenses within the past 10 years. In other words,
because the discount you previously received for being a good driver will not
apply, your car insurance premium will go up, at minimum, the amount of that
previous discount.
Losing
the discount is not the only reason your car insurance premiums may go up. Having
a history of DUI suggests to the car insurance company that you are at a higher
risk of being in an accident. It’s no surprise that having a higher blood
alcohol content will hinder basic motor skills and therefore negatively affect your
ability to operate a vehicle, thus leading to a higher chance of being involved
in a collision. And having a higher risk of being in an accident means that the
insurance company has more to lose with you behind the wheel. The insurance
companies are not allowed to cancel your insurance mid-policy due to a DUI
conviction, but they will definitely reconsider your premiums when the renewal
comes around. As such, your premiums will more than likely go up. Although it
will depend on your insurance company, on average, an increase of a few hundred
dollars is likely. Some, however, can increase as much as a couple thousand
dollars.
Assuming
for argument’s sake that your insurance only increases a few hundred dollars,
that few hundred dollars might seem doable, but remember, your status as a
“high risk” driver stays with you regardless of whether you change insurance
companies for 10 years. With that label lasting 10-years, you are looking at a quite
a few thousand dollars of a difference in total. Now, imagine what it would be
if the increase is more than a few hundred dollars.
If
you are convicted of a DUI, you may want to shop around for car insurance. With
this new dent in your record, there may be other policies that won’t make as
much of a dent in your wallet.
It
may seem like a lot of work, and more money than someone might want to dish out
for a DUI, but taking the time to research a good DUI lawyer will also probably
be worth it. If the right circumstances are aligned in your case, your lawyer
may be able to get your DUI charge down to a “wet reckless” (See the post What
are the Benefits (and Disadvantages) of a Wet Reckless? for details on wet
reckless). One of the advantages of being able to reduce your DUI to a charge of
wet reckless is that the conviction will stay on your record for only seven
years, rather than the 10 years that a DUI conviction requires. Obviously, it
would depend on your car insurance, but the additional cost of paying for a
good DUI lawyer, may outweigh the cost of paying an additional three years of
increased premiums.
Suffice
it to say, that extra six-dollar beer is not worth the few thousand dollar
increase in insurance premiums that a DUI conviction will bring with it, or all
of the time and research you will have to put into finding yourself a good
lawyer, or the time and research in possibly finding new insurance to make sure
you are able to keep your premium increase to a minimum.
The post How Does a DUI Affect Car Insurance? appeared first on DUI BLOG.
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