One thing – and the most important thing – I promised my parents when I got my driver’s license was to never, ever get into a car with someone who had been drinking or to get behind the wheel myself if I consumed alcohol. The risks and consequences are too high and are one hundred percent preventable if I consciously choose not to drive. I’m proud to say I have never been in that situation and never plan to in the future. Unfortunately, some people have forfeited their responsibility to keep the streets safe and find themselves charged with a DUI. Other than causing harm to themselves or others, DUI charges carry high and severe costs that are not only physical, but financial as well. The average cost of a DUI is about $10,000 by the time you’ve paid various fees, fines, bail and insurance costs – and all of that is if you didn’t hit or hurt anyone or anything. Here is a breakdown of how much getting a DUI can really cost you.If you are arrested and put in jail for driving under the influence, bail is most certainly going to cost you or your family a good amount of money. The cost ranges from $150-$2,500 and is usually raised if a bonding company is used. If you are a repeat offender or if your blood-alcohol level is much higher than the legal limit, your bail fee could be raised even more.
When you get arrested for a DUI, your car will get towed. In some places, towing may only cost around $100, but in bigger cities that see moneymaking possibilities, this fee could skyrocket much higher into the $1,000 range. Each additional day your car is left there, the fee will jump and if you cannot afford to pick up your car, it could potentially be auctioned off and the city could send you an impoundment bill if the auction price doesn’t cover the impounding fees.
Another costly expense after getting a DUI is insurance. This is often the worst hit a driver faces after being charged with a DUI. Your insurance rate could triple or even quadruple and could stay with you for the next three to five years. In extreme cases, the insurance company could choose to drop you all together at your arrest even before you are convicted. Why so long? Well, insurance companies typically look at records for a few years and want to be sure you can hold a clean record (sometimes close to five years) before going back down to a “preferred” status with reduced premiums.
While you are going through the process of legal work after getting a DUI, legal fees may begin to add up. A guilty plea may only set you back a few hundred dollars, but with so much at stake, some people try to fight the charge which can end up costing thousands of dollars in legal representation fees, totaling anywhere from $2,000 – $25,000.
Many other repercussions such as getting a poor driving record, losing your job, and possibly even losing your license depending on the severity of the offense. A DUI is not only a major hit to your finances, it could change your life and cause you many problems in your future. The best thing to do is to avoid driving under the influence at all costs.
