Chicago DUI Lawyers Examine The Cost of Drunk Driving

Our Chicago DUI Lawyers have long argued that the real reason behind the “war on drunk driving” was money, not safety. Check out this latest story and decide for yourself

Drunk driving could cost $20,000

* A DUI conviction for a first-time offender with no accident would range from $9,000 to $24,000.
* Some companies will fire you if you’ve been arrested for a DUI.
* If there’s a child younger than 15 in the car, you can face additional fines and possibly jail time for a DUI.

Having just one more green beer or shot of Irish whiskey won’t cost you too much, right? Well, if that last dance with the bottle on St. Paddy’s Day leads to an unlucky DUI conviction, you’ll be paying for it for years to come.

And that’s only considering the potential financial cost of being ticketed for driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, better known as DUI or DWI. It’ll take even longer to get past the staggering financial blow if you cause an accident — or the emotional devastation if your actions cause injuries or worse.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 134 fatal accidents on St. Patrick’s Day in 2008, the last year for which data are available, and 50 of those involved at least one driver who was legally drunk at the time of the crash. That means 37 percent of the drivers and motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol level of .08 or above.

One drink too many puts you at risk not only for an arrest, but also for fees, fines and costs that can run you thousands of dollars. While a DUI may be a misdemeanor charge in a number of jurisdictions, it’s a matter that most judges and district attorneys take very seriously. The financial toll of a conviction will play out for years to come, and in many states, that can add up to $20,000 before everything is over. This includes bail, fines, legal fees, increased auto insurance premiums, loss of work income, court-ordered alcohol education programs and more.

Of course, if you get fired from your job as a result of the arrest, that dollar figure would skyrocket.

No mention of the increased safety anywhere in that $20,000.00 figure.