There is a billboard beside an Arizona freeway showing a male motorist being administered a breathalyzer test following a police stop for suspected drunk driving.
A prominently displayed message accompanies the image. It reads this: “YOU JUST BLEW $10,000.”
That might reasonably raise a question for many of our readers, namely this: Is there a similar outlay for a drunk driving conviction in Colorado?
Short answer: There could be.
Maybe even more.
Of course, that is an arbitrary and obviously lofty levy that won’t apply to everyone who faces post-conviction DUI exactions in Colorado, but it certainly is a realistic ballpark figure for the cumulative costs associated with drunk driving in the state.
Just consider what those might be in any given case. They centrally include things like the following, which is only a partial list:
- Court fees and costs
- Car impoundment costs
- Alcohol treatment/education
- License reinstatement
- Ignition interlock
- Loss of income and, potentially, professional license
And then, of course, there is this whopper, which can easily be the most pricey component related to a DUI: hiked insurance premiums. The advocacy group DUI Foundation states that in the five years consequent to a DUI conviction, a motorist’s auto insurance “can increase by $5,000 to $10,000.”
That alone might provide strong motivation for some drivers entangled in a DUI case to timely consult with a proven criminal defense attorney who routinely handles drunk driving cases.
Reportedly, the median insurance price hike nationally for a young female motorist convicted of drunk driving is close to 57 percent.