Driving Under The Influence
A DUI ticket, driving under the influence, is a serious crime with grave
consequences. Unfortunately, there are many more drunk drivers on the
roads today than people realize and they are putting all of us at risk.
Most people have seen the sad public service announcements that have
been shown on television that depicts an entire family that was wiped
out by someone that was driving under the influence of alcohol and the
pain that it has caused.
Sadly, many drivers who do drive drunk don’t realize that they are impaired. They think that, despite a few drinks, they are fine to drive and certainly could not possibly be over the limit; they are dead wrong. Just a couple of drinks will not only slow down your reaction time but it will also affect your judgment and may lead to an accident or death.
DUI LAWS
All the states in the Union, every one plus Washington D.C., have laws
that forbid driving with a blood alcohol concentration of more than
.08%. While the laws differ between states, they all have severe
penalties and seven of these states are in the process of making their
DUI laws much harsher. There is a trend going on where states are moving
toward making drunken driving penalties much more severe.
So what happens if you get convicted of a DUI? In Colorado, for example, there are some of the toughest laws against drunk driving in the country. A first offense in Colorado carries with it a fine of between $300 and $1000 and between 5 days to 1 year in jail. On top of that, there is between 48 to 96 hours of mandatory public service and the loss of your driver’s license for a minimum of 1 year. If this is your second violation, the penalties are even harsher.
Fact: In Colorado a DUI can put you in jail for a year
RAMIFICATIONS
So you have been convicted of a DUI and have paid the fine and served
your time, so it’s no big deal, right? Wrong. With a DUI on your record,
there is a chance that you might lose your job especially if it involves
driving. That is correct; in addition to all of the penalties imposed by
the state, you are putting your job and career at risk by this foolish
incident. This is a huge financial risk because it could put your house,
your family, and your livelihood in jeopardy. Driving while intoxicated
is certainly not worth the risk.
Do you think that this is all? Not a chance. Many states require that drivers convicted of a DUI file a SR-22 form to inform their insurance company that this is on their record. Even if your state does not require this particular form, most insurance carriers regularly check driving records to try to find out if there are any new violations. If there are new violations, insurance companies feel that the driver has become more of a risk and will increase their premiums or, worse yet, drop their coverage altogether. If your insurance is dropped, you may not be able to find another insurance company that is willing to take the risk to insure you. However, if you are fortunate enough to keep your insurance coverage and if there is a DUI on your record, this indicates to them that you are an even greater driving risk and your premiums will skyrocket. This easily could cost you thousands of dollars each year and, over the course of your driving career, it could easily reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. This could mean financial ruin to you and your family.
Fact: DUI Insurance rates could cost thousands of dollars
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH
Are you confused on how much is too much to drink? A good rule to follow
is that, if you plan to drink, make arrangements to have a designated
driver present to drive you home. This takes all of the risk away from
driving and drinking. Without a doubt, this is the best rule to follow.
Don’t take a chance of drinking and driving and risk getting pulled over.
If you do decide to drink and drive, how much can you drink and legally drive? To be perfectly clear, one drink is considered as 1 beer, or 3 oz of wine, or 1 shot of hard liquor. With this in mind, if your weight is 160 pounds and you drink 4 beers in an hour, you are considered legally drunk. With 3 beers, you could still be convicted of driving while impaired. It doesn’t take too much to put you over the legal limit, so be responsible when drinking.
Fact: 3 beers and you could go to jail