Los Angeles, by itself, bags about a quarter of DUI cases in the state of California. That said, if you are going to drink and drive, you might as well know exactly what you are getting yourself into, starting with raised car insurance premiums. Driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 oZ makes you liable for a driving while intoxicated charge. To car insurance companies, such a charge makes you a high-risk driver hence the increased premium. In the city of angels, a DUI conviction multiplies your premium by 1.43.
The Repercussions of Drinking While Intoxicated
Increased insurance rates aside, driving under the influence could get you up to 6 months of jail time for first offenders. Add that to a fine of $390-$1000 and a 6 month period of zero driving privileges. A DUI felony charge which means you have had 3 prior convictions, lands you 3 years of jail time, the same amount of fine and 4 years of zero driving privileges.
A felony injury DUI, which is where someone was killed or injured as a result of DUI equals to 16 years behind bars, a fine of $1015-$5000 and 5 years of zero driving privileges. All this is according to the California DUI Law. Even if you get a reputable lawyer and are acquitted, a DUI record will automatically raise your life insurance quote rate. Age, your health condition and your lifestyle determine your life insurance policy rate. Drinking falls under the latter. Now that you are fully aware of the consequences that come with the territory, learn how various factors affect your car insurance rate.
Age
Driving while drunk is treated as a major offense for teenagers and youth compared to adults. Matter of fact, while the standard BAC for a DUI is .08oZ, for people under 21, a BAC of .02 or even .01 could get you arrested according to California’s zero tolerance laws. The same applies for car insurance companies. If you are under 21 with a DUI record, you are most likely to pay a higher premium than a 30-year-old with the same charge.
Time
A DUI charge stays on your record for 10 years from the day it happened. In order to qualify for normal insurance rates, you will have to wait for anywhere between 3 to 5 years. During this period, you should, of course, be driving sober. Nevertheless, a person on the third year of their charge pays 18% less premium than one in their first year.
Prior Charges
If you are a repeat offender, say on your forth charge, your premium will drastically increase if the company does not drop you first. A 58% increase to put it in numbers. If you are 18 or below and on a third or fourth DUI charge, prepare to pay 116% more.
It is not advisable to hide a DUI charge from your insurance company in a bid to stave off the extra expenses. Eventually, they will find out as they check your record before renewing any coverage. Additionally, after such a charge, your insurance agency will need to send an SR-22 form to the DMV for your driving license to be reinstated.
Contact Jon Artz today if you’ve been charged with DUI in Los Angeles.
