Most people who choose to drive after drinking have the feeling that they might not be quite sober enough to have full control of their actions behind the wheel. Yet, alcohol tends to reduce our ability to assess risks.
Before you go out for drinks, it’s important to have a firm understanding of what you’ll put at risk if you choose to drive drunk later on.
Transportation
A DUI charge isn’t like a speeding ticket, it’s a criminal offense. If you refuse to take a chemical test upon a police officer’s request, your license will automatically be suspended for one year — regardless of whether you are over the legal limit.
Those who test positive will face a license suspension of at least 120 days. However, a suspension could last up to a year for the first offense and even longer for subsequent offenses. In some cases, your vehicle could even be confiscated.
If you can’t drive your own vehicle, you’ll have to pay for another means of transportation to get groceries, go to work, purchase home goods or any other tasks.
Your job
Most employees need to travel a far distance to get to work. If this is the case for you, you’ll need to figure out how to get there while your license is suspended.
Additionally, you may be required to make a court appearance, depending on the circumstances of your arrest. If you aren’t careful with your punctuality at work, you could run the risk of losing your job.
License reinstatement
Once you’ve served your license suspension, you won’t get it returned back to you until you pay a fee. For your first offense, license reinstatement will cost about $200.
Insurance premiums
Depending on your driver’s history, you may become uninsurable. If you can still be insured, your premium will skyrocket. This heightened price may limit the leisure activities you can do in the long-term or could be so expensive that you can’t afford to drive.
Fines and time
The fine for the DUI itself could be up to $1,000 for your first offense. It’ll also cost 40 hours of your time toward community service, plus probation and a DUI education course.
Adding it all up
When you add it all up, the hidden costs of a DUI don’t even come close to the expense of calling a taxi service to get you home safely. But, if you’re already facing charges, the cost of an attorney is your best bet to negotiate the most inexpensive outcome to your case.
Stephen G. Adkins will sit down and discuss the options your case presents you with at no cost. Then, he’ll fight for you with tried and true negotiation tactics to help you seek the most cost-effective outcome possible.