Impaired driving and insurance are not a good pair of words to put together. If someone is so unfortunate to have to deal with this situation there are a few key things to know. The nearly inevitable consequence, however, is that insurance rates will go up.

The premium for a person convicted of driving under the influence will double and maybe even triple. This lasts for at least three years after a first offense and can last much longer for a second offense. The high rates are justified because that person is now seen as a huge risk and more likely to get into an accident. There are agencies that work particularly with risky customers. They work to keep prices relatively low for people in this kind of difficult situation.

A suspended license of at least six months is typical punishment. In order to have the license reinstated the convicted person must now show proof of insurance. This is done with the SR-22 form that the insurers sign. Under this law they are responsible to tell the Department of Motor Vehicles if the policy terminates, lapses or gets cancelled.

An agency can refuse to insure a person who has been arrested for charges of driving while intoxicated. It is legal for them to do so. However, some states offer protection and have made it illegal for a company to revoke their policy before the termination date.

Different states vary in traffic laws and the variations help to determine auto coverage. In some states a person is considered inebriated with any amount of alcohol in their system. This is called zero tolerance.

The more severe the conviction the higher the price of coverage will be. Some states will determine a sentence according to any negative consequence that occurred because of the incident. This includes if anybody was hurt or if any damages occurred to property. The Blood Alcohol Content of the person can also influence court decision. For instance, a BAC of . 20 can be considered high enough to increase conviction.

An obvious but necessary statement is that this can all be avoided by not getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. There are other options, such as calling a cab or walking home. Family and friends will typically prefer picking up a loved one instead of having them put themselves or anybody else in danger.

By the unfortunate case that a bad decision was made and court processes are pending then a lawyer can help. A lot of lawyers specialize in this field. Depending on the situation they might be able to get the charges drop. At the least a decent lawyer can have the charges reduced. This will lead to more manageable insurance rates. It the event that the rates are still too expensive the convicted person can take public transportation or ride a bike. Also, some states do not require a license to drive a moped.

Impaired driving and insurance are not a happy couple. The first leads the second to skyrocket and this happens despite a previous record of good driving. The situation might cause less stress by shopping around at different agencies, getting a decent lawyer and by finding other ways to get around.

About the author, Impaired driving is a crime, take it seriously and hire Impaired Driving Lawyers, keep a clean criminal record.

Author Bio: Impaired driving is a crime, take it seriously and hire Impaired Driving Lawyers, keep a clean criminal record.

Category: Automotive
Keywords: impaired, driving, record, fine, crime, alcohol, drugs