4 Reasons Drinking And Driving Is A Bad Idea

Understanding why drinking and driving is a bad idea is not rocket science. Drinking and driving can not only cost you your life but also put others around you in danger, especially those loved ones in the vehicle with you. If you’re caught drinking and driving with a child who’s 15 years old or younger, you’re susceptible to even severe charges.

Regardless of how obvious the drawbacks of drinking and driving are, many people continue to do it. According to an article by Forbes, more than 28 people in America lose their life in drunk-driving car accidents every day. That’s roughly 10,220 deaths every year.

If you care about your loved ones, here are some reasons to stop yourself from driving when drunk.

Jail Time

Even though the legal blood alcohol content limit for New York is anything under 0.05%, this can only save you with you don’t cause trouble for others. If your drunk-driving causes fatality or significant property/vehicle/person damage, you can go to jail for a minimum of one year for your first offense, four years for the second offense, and seven years for the third offense.

Increased Insurance Premiums

Getting caught while drinking and driving can significantly impact your insurance premium. In short, the higher your chances of being a DUI convict, the higher your insurance premium will be. That’s because all insurance premiums are based on how responsible you are as a driver. If you’re a bad driver and at risk of causing frequent damage that the insurance company will be bearing, they charge a higher premium to cover the cost.

You Can Lose Your Job and Driving

License

In many professions, drinking and driving are considered a serious criminal offense that can result in employment termination and suspension of your professional license. However, if you’ve already had previous DUI offenses, you can lose your driving license for good at the third DUI offense.

Large Fines and Fees

Since drinking and driving is considered a serious offense in New York and other parts of the United States, the fine you’re left to deal with is not cheap. That’s because they want to discourage drunk driving as much as possible. For the first DUI offense, you can be charged a “minimum” of $2,500, $ 5,000 for the second DUI offense, and a whopping $10,000 for the third DUI offense – and apart from these fines, you also have to bear the court fees and fines and other civil penalties if you’ve caused damages to property, people, or vehicle.

Need Help With Your DUI Charge?

If you’ve already been charged with a DUI and need legal representation for the courtroom, get in touch with DWI and Traffic Lawyers today. We offer premium legal services for DWI and traffic cases in New York State. Apart from DUI lawyers, we also have some of the finest criminal defense lawyers and DWI lawyers on board.