What to Expect when You Get a DUI: A Lesson in Cost

The NHTSA estimates that 10,839 people will die in car crashes involving at least one drunk driver. That comes out to approximately one death every 50 minutes. What is more alarming is that an average drunk driver has driven drunk 87 times before their first arrest. In 2008, 37 percent of fatalities as a result of car accidents were DUI related, so there is no wonder that cops, insurance companies and judges take a DUI offense so seriously. Here are some costs you can expect to incur if you are charged and found guilty of a DUI, and some associated costs that could have saved you from putting yourself in that position.

I myself was charged with a DUI approximately two years ago. To be honest I was not under the influence at the time of my arrest (I don't even drink), but do to the circumstances surrounding the traffic stop I was forced to plead guilty to several minor charges to get a weapons charge dropped. In Kentucky it is customary to carry a weapon in your vehicle, but federal laws prohibit carrying a weapon if it can be considered concealed.

Right off the bat I was faced with $736.23 in court costs, fines and processing fees associated with my case. I was also forced to pay $150 to get my vehicle out of impoundment. I did not have my car insured at the time so I had to get insurance on it before I could get it released. The monthly total for that quote was $97. I was required to pay $150 for a special DUI driving class that I had to attend for a total of 20 hours. After it was all said and done, I had spent approximately 70 hours in jail, DUI class and satisfying various court appearances. The grand total in immediate costs comes to $2121.23.

After I was found guilty I was forced to notify my insurance provider of my charges. My rates went from $97 per month to a staggering $180 per month, but $30 of that was due to my credit score dropping as a direct result of the financial hardship I found myself facing with no license and mounting bills all related to the charge. Out of the $80 price increase, $50 was labeled as an increase related to my DUI. In the state of Kentucky, a DUI stays on your driving record for 5 years. At $50 per month for the next 5 years, I will pay an additional $3,000 for auto insurance. Something else to keep in mind is that subsequent DUIs are counted as 2nd and 3rd offenses, and all the related fines, sentences and insurance premium increases go up exponentially.

All accounted for I will have paid more than $5121.23 in costs related to a DUI charge that I wasn't even guilty of, but could have been avoided. All DUI charges can be avoided by making sure you have plans for transportation or lodging prior to drinking. Most bars have a contingency plan for patrons that have a few too many to drink, and you will likely have the option of paying a $30 cab fare or paying upwards of $80 for a hotel room. I understand that the prices seem steep, but always remember that you will be saving approximately $5,000 by playing it smart.

I for one got off cheap regarding my DUI charges. Driving under the influence is as likely to end in a deadly auto accident as it is to end in a higher insurance premium. You could spend the rest of your life in prison on the charge of vehicular homicide, and you may have to spend the rest of your life mourning the loss of your own child, or someone else's. I would pay $5,121.23 any day to bring back a single life that was lost at the hands of a drunk driver, so how in the world can you justify not paying the $30 for a cab, or $80 for a hotel room?