(LS) — Drunken driving is a poor decision – in more ways than one. Not only does driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs put you and everyone else around you at danger, but it also puts your pocket book in peril. In order to convince drinkers to avoid driving, most states have instituted sizable financial penalties, and a drunken driving conviction can put a working middle class man or woman in the poor house.
In 1982, the percentage of total fatal car accidents that involved drunken drivers hit an all-time high of 60 percent in the United States with 26,173 drunken driving deaths out of 43,945 total car accidents. Over the past 28 years, the percentage has gone slowly down, and now sits at only 37 percent, with only 13,846 people dying in drunken driving accidents in 2008 – thanks in large part to state’s taking a stronger stance against driving drunk. Not only has the legal level of intoxication been lowered to .08 percent from .10 percent blood alcohol concentration, but most states have also taken a much stronger stance against drunken driving, handing out stiffer penalties and fines.
A buddy of mine got arrested last year for drinking and driving in Texas. He didn’t get into an accident or hurt anyone, it was his first offense, and his BAC was only .10. Still, he couldn’t believe the expense involved.
In order to receive probation, he needed to hire a lawyer, and even a cheap ambulance chaser cost him nearly $4,000. Then, he faced up to a $2,000 fine and another $1,500 for court fees. Had he had a child in the car with him, then the fine would have been $10,000. Plus, he had his license suspended for six months, and he paid almost another $1,000 to get an occupational license, plunking down another $500 to his lawyer to get him to process the legal transaction. When the six-month suspension of my friend’s driver’s license ended, he had to pay $85 to get his license reinstated.
But wait, there was more. Once he got the license back, my buddy found out that he now owed the state of Texas $1,000 per year in a surcharge for three years just to have the privilege of driving. Had his BAC been over .16 percent, then the surcharge would have been $2,000 per year. Then, his insurance provider cancelled his policy, and he had to pay nearly double per month to get coverage from another carrier. No matter what state you live in, if your insurance provider discovers a DWI conviction, then you’re going to have to pay more to get your insurance.
All told, my buddy is going to be out over $15,000 because he had one drink too many. That’s a pricey beverage. Moreover, if he does it again (and he swears he’s never doing it doing it again), but if he does he’ll be out even more. He’ll have to hire another lawyer, and then the fine will go up to $4,000 and the surcharge to $1,500 per year if his BAC is lower than .16 and $2,000 per year for three years. He’ll also be facing up to a year in jail, a two-year license suspension, and he will have to pay for an ignition interlock device on his car.
Third offense? Don’t even think about it. That’s a felony in Texas with up to 10 years in prison at stake.
Granted, everything’s bigger in Texas, and that’s true for DUI penalties. Maybe, you live in a liberal state like California where DUI penalties are not so severe. Even so, if you get busted for driving while under the influence in Hollyweird, you’ll still lose your license for six months, have to serve a mandatory 48 hours of jail time or work service, take DUI class for between 12-45 hours, and then spend three to five years on non-reporting probation. But, you will save money, since you’ll only have to pay a lawyer and a fine of between $1400-1800 that includes the court fees. No surcharge. What a bargain!
Even a second offense in California is cheaper than in Texas, and drunken driving doesn’t become felonious until the fourth offense.
New York is even lighter against DWI, with a first offense costing only a maximum of $1,000 and a surcharge of $250 per year for three years.
However, some states are even tougher on DWI than Texas. Arizona imposes a mandatory ignition interlock device for all DWI convictions, and anyone arrested while driving with a BAC higher than .20 percent must spend a mandatory 45 days in jail that cannot be suspended by any judge. Fines in Illinois are estimated at $14,000 for a first offense and includes a mandatory ignition interlock device. A fourth offense in Illinois can come with a $25,000 fine, and the state of Illinois will suspend your license for a DWI conviction in another state.
Of course, you shouldn’t drink and drive because it’s dangerous – 13,000-20,000 people dead every year doesn’t lie. However, if that’s not enough to get you to act responsibly then think about what will happen to you if you’re lucky enough to get caught without hurting yourself or anyone else. You’re going to be out thousands of dollars that you can’t afford to lose.
