I have shared the story of my own experience with the results of a repeat drunk driver. The loss of my father-in-law remains an emptiness in the whole family, especially during the holiday season. But the sharp pain of losing a beautiful 12-year old niece is raw and always will be for everyone who knew Jennifer.
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Everyday someone is arrested for driving under the influence, or driving while intoxicated. For some of these drunk drivers it won’t be the first DUI offense. The penalties for DUI, including the first offense, have increased nationwide since the late 1980’s with more the 1,600 new DUI laws on the books nationwide. Thanks in great part to the efforts of groups like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) stiffer penalties and fewer fatalities have resulted.
- All 50 states have established 21 as the legal drinking age. Two-thirds of states have Administrative License Revocation (ALR) laws, allowing an arresting officer seize the license of drivers who fail or refuse to take a breath test.
- Many states have lowered the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit from .10 to .08 percent.
- Several states have Zero Tolerance laws prohibiting drivers under 21 from having any measurable amount of alcohol in their blood system.
- Penalties have increased for drinking and driving, especially for repeat offenders.
- Many state legislatures have passed laws requiring mandatory jail time for repeat DUI convictions.
- Fines have increased significantly.
- The length of license suspension has been extended.
- Obtaining a “hardship” license to go to and from work is more difficult.
Driving drunk is an expensive situation with huge liability implications. Hopefully, risk takers in this area know when to call a cab or learn to identify a designated driver. The problem is there will always be a certain population that refuses to consider the consequences of driving while intoxicated. When all of the legal fines are paid, jail time served and mandatory drivers license suspension is ended a person will still suffer financial impact with their insurance.
Insurance companies deal with customers convicted of DUI in one of the following ways:
- Increase insurance premiums and classify convicted drunk drivers as a “high-risk driver” In order to have a suspended drivers license reissues most states require convicted drunk drivers to file proof of insurance for three to five years. This proof is filed directly with most state’s department of motor vehicles. The insurance company will be asked by the DMV to issue an SR-22 form. This form removes the license suspension and provides required proof of insurance. An SR-22 form requires the insurance company to notify the DMV if the insurance policy cancels for any reason.
- Most state laws the SR-22 from process so hiding a drunk driving convictions is not possible with insurance carriers. Insurance companies have every right to cancel insurance mid-term (in states where permitted), or terminate the policy at the end of the term because of a DUI conviction. Drivers with preferred rates will nearly always terminate coverage.
- The insurance company usually sends drunk drivers a notice of cancellation and the reason for it.
- Another insurance policy will need to be written for a “high risk driver” needing an SR-22.
- The cancellation is listed in the drunk drivers insurance claims history. Which will affect the drivers ability to obtain preferred insurance rates.
- Many insurance companies don’t offer SR-22 forms as at all for any policy holder. Insurance companies are not required to insure anyone, therefore they are not required to offer insurance to convicted drunk drivers. If the drivers insurance company doesn’t offer SR-22 forms, then the insured would be given a non-renewal notice because they are not able to provide what the driver needs.
Drunk drivers cost society a lot of money, they cost the law enforcement, and legal system more money then we could comprehend. Their actions result in extra processes, with the State DMV and create a cost paid by all tax-payers. The choice to drive drunk has huge financial implications which are designed to save lives like those of Martin and Jennifer, where no cost can give them back their lives.
Photo credit for this blog entry: 
Member: Gregor909 Gregor Buir
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