Each year, more than 1 million drivers are pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence. A large percentage of these drivers end up getting charged and convicted with a DUI. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise – the consequences are catastrophic.
DUI Conviction: More Than an Inconvenience
According to the CDC, 29 people die in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver every single day. That comes out to roughly one death every 50 minutes – which results in an annual cost of more than $44 billion.
In 2016, more than 1 million drivers were arrested for driving while under the influence, Shockingly, this is less than one percent of the 111 million Americans who self-reported incidents of alcohol-impaired driving over that same timeframe.
While there’s certainly an embarrassment factor associated with getting charged and convicted of a DUI, it’s more than an inconvenience. There are some long-term consequences, which affect every area of your life – including:
Three drinks might cost you $15 at the bar, but a DUI will cost you thousands.
“As the costs of court fines, hiked insurance rates, lost productivity, etc., add up, being charged with a DUI in most states is costly enough to equal the cost of the person taking a taxi cab across the country and back,” Alcohol.org mentions.
Depending on your location and the situation, you may incur costs like:
Go ahead and add those numbers up in your head. Even if you take the lowest numbers from each category, you’re looking at close to $15,000. It could rise to $25,000 or more in serious situations. That’s enough to set most people back for years!
Most employers run a criminal background check prior to hiring a candidate for a position. If you have a misdemeanor or felony DUI conviction, it will show up on your report and could foil your chances of getting the job. You’ll find that many college and university admissions offices, financial institutions, and landlords run background checks as well. In other words, a single DUI can jeopardize almost every aspect of your adult life.
If you’re convicted of a DUI, it could result in your driver’s license being revoked for a significant period of time. In some states, even your first conviction can cause your license to be suspended for six months to two years. Subsequent convictions lead to even lengthier revocations.
When your license is suspended, you’ll have to rely on public transportation, Uber/Lyft, or friends and family members to get you to and from work, school, and other appointments. This can be expensive and burdensome.
A DUI doesn’t just affect you – it impacts the lives of those closest to you. This may include parents, children, roommates, coworkers/employers, and significant others. In certain cases, it can spell an end to these relationships altogether. At the very least, it drives a wedge between you and the other people in your life.
Don’t Treat Your DUI Charge Lightly
It’s important to understand the difference between a DUI charge and a DUI conviction. The former is a headache, while the latter is a migraine. Don’t let your headache turn into a head-splitting migraine. Hire a DUI lawyer as soon as possible so that you can fight your charges and avoid dealing with the long-term consequences of a frustrating conviction.
A good DUI lawyer is someone who is experienced, has a good track record of winning cases, and specializes in cases like yours. Most attorneys offer free initial consultations where you can sit down and discuss your case without making any sort of commitment. This gives you the opportunity to get a feel for who the attorney is and how they work.
Don’t delay – find an attorney today. Otherwise, your current inconvenience could become a critical mistake.