According to Numbeo.com, the cost of a 1 km ride in a Denver taxi is about $4 (not including the tip). Utilities here cost about $116 per month for an apartment. A pair of jeans here? $36. A fast-food meal will set you back about $6.
And according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the cost of a first-offense DUI can add up to $10,000, although other sources indicate that estimate might be on the low side. (Bankrate.com, for instance, estimates a first offense at up to $20,000.)
The DOT estimates that over the five years following your DUI, you will spend about an extra $3,000 on auto insurance. That’s the single largest ticket item the DOT lists. Other costs include the following:
- Detoxification: $455
- Chemical testing fee: $90 average (costs can range from $30 to $150)
- Towing fee: $143
- Car storage: $39
- Jail fee: $30 average (depending on the jail, costs range from 10 bucks to $50)
- Bail: $150
- Alcohol education classes: $575 (though they can go up to $1,000)
- Fine: $800
- Victim assistance fun: $78
- Law enforcement assistance fund: $90
- Driver’s license reinstatement: $95
- PDD Surcharge: $275
- Ignition interlock device rental: $970 (though this can be up to $1,460)
A big item the DOT overlooks: loss of income. For many going through the criminal justice system and DMV hearings, they will lose several days of work and income. For others, a DUI is even worse: they lose their jobs and all income.
Of course, one other cost that can come with a DUI arrest is for those who choose to fight the charge with the help of an attorney. The attorney can in some cases get all other costs erased by getting charges dropped. In other cases, an attorney can get charges against you – and their resultant costs – reduced.