Saturday, December 22, 2007
DUI very expensive this holiday season
San Diego DUI attorney news - penalties update
People celebrating the holidays by drinking at a bar or party and deciding to drive home might wake up to an unexpected, expensive bill to pay.
The average cost for a first-time DUI conviction is $3,200, including fines, fees, jail costs and an ignition interlock device for a year. That doesn't include the expense of an attorney, the increase in insurance costs, or the bill if the car gets towed.
Compare that to the average price of a cab ride home from north Scottsdale to Chandler at $31 or asking a friend to be the designated driver.
The Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety hopes by educating drivers of the steep costs of driving under the influence that more people will plan for a safe way home this season.
One of the reasons for the effort is that drunken driving fatalities rose 9 percent in Arizona last year. Drunken drivers killed 375 people in 2005 and 409 in 2006. State DUI Task Forces have already reeled in 1,254 arrests since Thanksgiving.
"We want people to enjoy themselves, but they need to find a sober way to get home. You could hurt yourself or other motorists," GOHS spokesman Michael Hegarty said. "There is no silver bullet to stop drunk driving. Some people need to go to jail and for some, it comes down to cost."
In the past three years, drunken driving costs have continued to escalate.
"The costs of DUIs are so high not just in terms of money but potential loss of human life. People better think twice," Mesa city prosecutor John Pombier said. "Whether they are worried about safety or their individual pocketbooks, if either of these reasons keeps you from drinking and driving then we are safer and better off."
In September, a new state law required everyone convicted of drunken driving to use an interlock system on their car, increasing the cost by $960 for 12 months.
In 2005, lawmakers added an Arizona Department of Public Safety fund assessment fee of $500 for a first-time DUI and $1,000 for extreme DUIs. In 2004, they approved a $500 prison fee for first-time DUI and $1,000 prison fee for extreme DUIs. The legal limit for DUI is 0.08 percent blood alcohol content. An extreme DUI is 0.15.
Supreme DUI, aimed at career or problem drinkers, went into effect in September. It's for drivers having registering 0.20 or higher.
A dui defense lawyer is someone who can help.
People celebrating the holidays by drinking at a bar or party and deciding to drive home might wake up to an unexpected, expensive bill to pay.
The average cost for a first-time DUI conviction is $3,200, including fines, fees, jail costs and an ignition interlock device for a year. That doesn't include the expense of an attorney, the increase in insurance costs, or the bill if the car gets towed.
Compare that to the average price of a cab ride home from north Scottsdale to Chandler at $31 or asking a friend to be the designated driver.
The Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety hopes by educating drivers of the steep costs of driving under the influence that more people will plan for a safe way home this season.
One of the reasons for the effort is that drunken driving fatalities rose 9 percent in Arizona last year. Drunken drivers killed 375 people in 2005 and 409 in 2006. State DUI Task Forces have already reeled in 1,254 arrests since Thanksgiving.
"We want people to enjoy themselves, but they need to find a sober way to get home. You could hurt yourself or other motorists," GOHS spokesman Michael Hegarty said. "There is no silver bullet to stop drunk driving. Some people need to go to jail and for some, it comes down to cost."
In the past three years, drunken driving costs have continued to escalate.
"The costs of DUIs are so high not just in terms of money but potential loss of human life. People better think twice," Mesa city prosecutor John Pombier said. "Whether they are worried about safety or their individual pocketbooks, if either of these reasons keeps you from drinking and driving then we are safer and better off."
In September, a new state law required everyone convicted of drunken driving to use an interlock system on their car, increasing the cost by $960 for 12 months.
In 2005, lawmakers added an Arizona Department of Public Safety fund assessment fee of $500 for a first-time DUI and $1,000 for extreme DUIs. In 2004, they approved a $500 prison fee for first-time DUI and $1,000 prison fee for extreme DUIs. The legal limit for DUI is 0.08 percent blood alcohol content. An extreme DUI is 0.15.
Supreme DUI, aimed at career or problem drinkers, went into effect in September. It's for drivers having registering 0.20 or higher.
A dui defense lawyer is someone who can help.
# posted by SanDiegoDUI @ 1:46 PM 
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