The High Costs of Drunk Driving in California

There is simply no good excuse to drink and drive. It is a bad idea at any time, all the time. Even though the risks of drunk driving are well-known, people still do it. When you drink and get behind the wheel you are putting your health and life at risk as well as anyone in your car with you and others on the road around you. When your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measures .08% or more, you are beyond the legal limit for driving. If you get into an accident and you are able to walk away with your life, you are going to be facing jail time, the loss of your license, your reputation, you could face losing your job, and you will absolutely face immense financial costs.

How Expensive Is A California Drunk Driving Charge?

The many ways in which a drunk driving charge will drain your wallet, here are a couple:

• Drunk driving is reckless and dangerous. Drivers that engage in this irresponsible behavior will be noticed by their car insurance providers. The costs of your insurance will skyrocket. Your premiums will increase as you are now considered a risky driver. You will be required to file an SR-22 form which proves that you have insurance. You will have to file the SR-22 for a minimum of three years. It will cost you to file this form. When it is all said and done, you are looking at more than $40,000 in insurance costs.
• When you are arrested for drinking and driving, it is likely you will be on a highway or roadway when this happens. As a result, your vehicle must be removed from the location where you were pulled over. The police will call a tow company to get your vehicle and hold it until you can pick it up. This storage situation is not cheap, costing those affected on average $685. If you cannot get to your vehicle in a short time and it must stay in the impound for an extended amount of time you are looking at a hefty bill. The longer that your vehicle sits, the more you will pay.
• Repercussions such as DUI courses are your responsibility to pay for and schedule. It will take thirty hours of your time to complete the course and you have to do it within a three-month time frame. The course can be as high as $650. If you are a repeat offender, you will be required to spend more time taking DUI courses and you will pay a lot more to do so.
• These costs may make it seem like obtaining the assistance of a San Diego DUI attorney is out of your reach. The opposite is true. Without the assistance of a California criminal defense attorney, you are at much higher risk for being sentenced to the fullest extent of the law which means the most fines and poor outcomes. When you have effective representation you give yourself a fighting chance to get your DUI dropped or your charges lowered.
• Drunk driving charges will result in you losing your license for a specified amount of time. When you are allowed to get it back, you will be charged a reinstatement fee of at minimum $100.

Where Can You Find An Aggressive California DUI Attorney?

If you have had too many drinks while out, you are going to save yourself a world of pain by calling a friend, family member, taxi, or rideshare to help you get home. Your car can be picked up the following day when you are sober and can safely get it and drive it back to your home. If you made the unfortunate decision to drink and drive and you were arrested, contact the San Diego criminal defense attorneys at the Coastal Legal Center today at (619) 231- 0724 to schedule your free consultation.