Operating a motor vehicle of any type under the influence of drugs or alcohol is illegal in the United States and there are many organizations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving; find them on the web at www.madd.org) that lobby continuously for stricter DUI laws to as a way prevent injury and deaths caused by impaired drivers. DUI consequences and penalties can range from serious to tragic.
5 Common DUI Penalties
DUI penalties vary based on a number of factors including the age of the offender (underage offenders often receive different penalties than adult offenders), whether or not the DUI is a first offense, whether or not there was an accident that resulted in injury or death, or even the state that you live in. Every state has different laws, and some states even have different laws county by county.
Despite the differences in laws from state to state, there are general similarities in the types of penalties that are often associated with a DUI conviction. These penalties include:
- Suspension of your license
- Jail Time
- Multiple fines and fees, sometimes adding up to thousands of dollars even for a first offense
- Attendance at a court ordered drug/alcohol awareness program or DUI school
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Required use of an ignition interlock device which prevents your car from starting it detects alcohol on your breath
10 Common DUI Consequences
A consequence is an event that is caused by or follows another event. When it comes to DUI, some of the consequences are related to the actual incident that led to the DUI arrest and other consequences are related to the conviction and its penalties. Penalties are concrete; consequences can be both concrete and abstract. Some examples of DUI consequences include:
- If your job requires driving, and your license is suspended you can lose your job
- If you are sentenced to jail time, you can lose your job
- If you lose your job, you can lose your house, apartment, have trouble paying bills...wreck your credit...
- People may be injured in an accident caused by your DUI
- People may be killed in an accident caused by your DUI
- You can be sued by victims and their families
- You may have to pay thousands of dollars in fines, and depending on the state you're in those fines can last for several years
- If and when you get your license reinstated it will be more expensive to insure your car
- If and when you get your license reinstated, you may be restricted to driving a car only with an ignition interlock
- Device DUI convictions can stay on your record for life
Get Legal Help
Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that three in every ten Americans can expect to be involved in an alcohol related car accident at some time during their life. If you have been charged with a DUI offense, or have been the innocent victim of an impaired driver, contact a local attorney to discuss your rights and options, as they exist in the context of your state's DUI and personal injury laws.
