Reader’s Question:

I have recently been apprehended in Ohio for drunk driving. Can I still hope for a low auto insurance rate?

Randall,

Cleveland, OH

Well, Randall, if it is your first time being apprehended for DUI, then you might get off the hook easily. However, should you be found to have prior records of drunk driving, stiffer penalties will surely be employed. In case this is your second or third time in six years, you will be classified as a repeat offender or habitual DUI offender, and your chances of getting low auto insurance rate shall have greatly diminished. This would also usually mean your license will be suspended. DUI arrests go beyond the limits of the state. Of course, you will be assessed by a court in Ohio, and a $100 cost is charged for such an assessment which you will shoulder unless covered by Medicaid. Recommendations will then be made depending on the findings of your assessment, which may sometimes include attending some form of treatment program.

Second time offenders may also have to go through a treatment program. For third time offenders, the State of Ohio will require attending an education treatment or rehabilitation depending on the assessor’s recommendations. Failure to comply with the assessor’s recommendations will mean that the offender’s license will not be reinstated, and that he/she will be called to appear in court for further sanctions. A fourth indictment will be considered a felony.

All these records will be brought to the attention of your auto insurance provider, which will prompt them to either significantly raise your premiums or opt not to cover you at all.

Tags: auto insurance premium, car insurance rate, drunk driving insurance, DUI, DUI insurance