After a long night out, it’s tempting to hop in the car and drive home, but that might be the most dangerous decision you could make. Drinking and driving can lead to death, injury, or incarceration. In fact, drunk driving is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths annually in the United States.
If you have been involved in a drunk driving accident, it is essential that you speak to a DUI attorney in Hawaii immediately to understand how you can avoid huge penalties and suspension of your driving license. Because drunk driving is punishable, you may even go to jail.
Here are some important reasons why you should not drink and drive.
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You could go to jail
If you get into a drunk driving accident, you could go to jail. In fact, officers will often bring a DUI suspect in for a quick breath test after the accident to make sure the driver was, in fact, intoxicated at the time of the incident. If testing shows blood alcohol content (BAC) levels of .08% or higher, the motorist will likely be charged with drunk driving and face consequences like fines and jail time.
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Your insurance premiums could increase
Drinking and driving could also impact your car insurance rates. If a drunk driver causes an accident, you may have to pay additional penalties for your auto policy, and that could add up to a lot of money over time. Insurance companies will take into account the financial costs of paying for an accident, as well as lost wages from those who were injured in the crash.
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You may lose your driving license
If you are convicted of driving with a BAC of .08% or higher, you will lose your driver’s license for at least one year, which means you will not be able to drive for at least one year. In some cases, an offender could even be sentenced to substance abuse treatment and community service.
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You could incur large fines
If you caused a fatal accident while driving under the influence, you could be fined up to $10,000. You will also likely have your license suspended for one year. And, if you caused an accident that led to personal injury, penalties include a fine of up to $5,000 and a driver’s license suspension of up to one year.
