Many of us enjoy celebrating on special occasions such as anniversaries, achieving significant milestones or traditional festivities. A convivial atmosphere is created, lots fun and laughter, and along with this goes the consumption of good food as well as wine or beer on many of these occasions. Then there is the drive home.

There is no strict guideline that fits everyone when it comes to deciding how many drinks to have before driving. This is because there are a lot of variables, for example, body size, liver efficiency, and alcohol content in the drink. Some people feel the effect of alcohol and accurately assess their inability to drive. Others do not.

Unfortunately, if a driver underestimates the amount of alcohol consumed and drives with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit, that person could find they are facing serious consequences, the least of which may be the difficulty of getting auto insurance of any kind, let alone affordable auto insurance.

There may be variations in some states but, generally, if a driver has in excess of .08g of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, they are over the legal limit to drive. This means that driving with this BAC is a crime. It is possible to have a driver’s license suspended immediately even before an official conviction has been made under an initiative called administrative license suspension. Although this does not apply in all states, it is operative in most.

Anyone can make a mistake, and this is acknowledged in the different penalties that apply. The higher the BAC, the more severe the penalties, but following conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) the driver may face license suspension, and in more severe cases having the license revoked. Repeat offenders face severe restrictions and penalties.

However, many states do allow drivers convicted of DUI, particularly first time offenders with a low level BAC infringement, to resume driving after having a device called an ignition interlock installed. This device requires the driver to prove they are alcohol-free by providing a breath sample for analysis before the car can be started.

So, it is possible to make a mistake, pay the penalty, face the inconvenience but be back in the driver’s seat. Now comes the question of auto insurance premiums. Surprisingly, an auto insurance company may never find out about a DUI conviction. This is particularly true if the penalty is minimal and carries little or no suspension of the license.

However, more serious cases, in some states, mean that the convicted driver has to obtain an SR-22 from their auto insurance company to prove to the motor vehicle authorities that they have liability insurance. Should this be the case, the vehicle insurance company could react in various ways. An increase in the premium is likely, and the amount of the increase is going to be related to the view the insurance company has of the risk the driver now poses. Insurance companies charge more depending on the perceived risk; however, there are differences in charges, so shop around. Unfortunately, some drivers may have a struggle finding auto insurance as it is possible to find the insurance provider withdraws all services and cancels the policy.

But, if a driver has had their license to drive restored to them, there will be auto insurance available somewhere; just keep looking for the right coverage at the best price.

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Category: Finances
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