None of us want to be convicted of a driving offense, least of all a DUI. Driving offenses come with many auxiliary costs that can really screw us over in, long term. And they reflect poorly on us as people if we are to blame. For these reasons, DWIs and DUIs are way more costly than the initial outlay for fines. They keep costing you money for years down the road. Scrubbing them from your record is difficult. Here are some ways driving offenses can wreck your finances and what to do about it.
Life Insurance Becomes More Costly
One of the unforeseen consequences of a DUI is the effect it has on your life insurance. Life insurance companies often want more money, given that you’re putting yourself at higher risk. And they can continue to ask for more money for ten years following a DUI conviction.
From the insurance company’s perspective, this isn’t about punishment. This is about charging a price that reflects the risk of a DUI driver. According to the Highway Administration, drivers with DUIs are about 40 percent more likely to die in a crash. And it’s not that DUI drivers just offend once. About 30 percent of them continue to drink and drive, even after getting a DUI. Thus, it makes sense that they would be involved in more accidents. And it makes sense that life insurance companies would want to charge more money. So what can you do about it?
First off, you can hire a one-of-a-kind DWI lawyer to reduce the severity of the allegations. If you’ve been caught drinking and driving, it’s not guaranteed you’ll be found guilty. There are all sorts of legal ways that you can make your case and reduce sanctions. Second, you can have a breathalyzer fitted to your car ignition. The car will only run without an alarm sounding, so long as you’ve used the breathalyzer to prove you’re under the limit.
Car Insurance Goes Up
All car insurers care about is your risk category. They don’t care that you didn’t know it was a 30 limit when you got caught doing 40. All they care about is what that says about you as a driver from a statistical perspective. Insurers know that drivers who get caught speeding are more likely to have an accident. And so as soon as they find out you’ve been speeding, your insurance goes up. According to the CarInsurance website, having a DUI can push your insurance up by between 30 and 300 percent. Ouch! Speeding tickets can put it up by more than a fifth.
So what can you do about this? Well, first off, see if there is a way to fight the charge. Given how much it’s likely to cost you over the long run, a legal route is a good option. The other thing you can do is focus on prevention. Get a car or an app that warns you when you go over the local speed limit. And, if possible, as the insurer if they’d lower your premium if you used a black box driving recorder.
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