How a DUI Affects Your Car Insurance

All states are on the war path. He who mixes alcohol and gasoline will get no sympathy. Police officers now obtain evidence of drunken driving by blood tests and drunk-o-meters.

Driving under the influence can be an absolutely serious offense. Have you ever had a drunken driving conviction, you undoubtedly know that the end results can be both embarrassing and pricey. Aside from the fees, attorney costs, and license suspension, you will discover the more long-term outcomes, such as the effect on your car insurance rates and coverage.

One drink too many can ruin any chance you might have to recover your damages. By the same token, if you can prove the other driver was drunk, you should have no trouble collecting.

Everyone says they only had two beers. Adjusters and juries aren't easily fooled. They know that two beers can mean anywhere from two to twenty.

Obviously, driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated is apt to be negligence. This problem is not always as easy as it looks. First, you must show that the driver was intoxicated. Then further, that the driver's intoxication was the cause of the accident. There is sometimes unfavorable jury reaction when you cannot actually prove that the man was intoxicated. The mere fact that a driver of an automobile had a drink of liquor does not in and of itself show him to be incapable of driving a car.

For anyone who is found guilty of a DUI, quite often, your insurance company will discover about the drunk driving and will deal with you in one of two ways. Commonly, your rates should go up, sometimes significantly, or, this company will easily cancel your insurance policy.

If the car insurance provider raises your rates but maintains you as an insured, you'll probably be labeled a high-risk driver. Most states need the insurer to present the state motor vehicle agency with an SR-22 Proof of Insurance Certificate, which eliminates your license suspension by providing the state with proof that you are insured.

Tests have shown that even one or two drinks can adversely affect a driver's ability behind the wheel. The trouble is that most drivers gain confidence after a few drinks. They drive faster and take more chances.

If your policy is terminated or non-renewed, you will still be capable of get car insurance. It will not likely be one of the popular carriers, but smaller companies will cover you and file the SR-22 for you so your license may be reinstated. Your rates will most certainly be higher, particularly because a DUI violation remains on your driving record for anywhere from a few years to the rest of your life, based on the state you're in.

After one or two drinks, a driver is slower to recognize a dangerous situation; slower in getting his foot on the brake pedal when he does recognize it; and not as competent in getting out of predicaments that demand quick reactions.